Date of birth. The exact date of birth of Abu Bakr is not
known. According to traditions he was younger than the Holy Prophet of Islam by
two years and a few months. As the Holy Prophet was born in 571 CE, we can
safely hold that Abu Bakr was born at Makkah some time in the year 573 C.E.

The family. Abu Bakr's father was Othman surnamed Abu Qahafa,
and his mother was Salma surnamed Umm-ul-Khair. They belonged to the Bani Taim
branch of the Quraish.

The genealogy of Abu Bakr joined with that of the Holy
Prophet, eight generations back in their common ancestor Murrah.

The Holy Prophet was the son of Abdullah, who was the son of
Abdul Muttalib, who was the son of Hashim, who was the son of Abd Manaf, who was
the son of Qussayi, who was the son of Kulab, who was the son of Murrah.

Abu Bakr was the son of Othman, who was the son of 'Amar, who
was the son of 'Amr, who was the son of Ka'ab, who was the son of Sa'ad, who was
the son of Taim, who was the son of Murrah.

Name. The original name of Abu Bakr was Abdul Ka'aba-the
servant of Kaaba. Some children were born to his parents before him, but they
did not survive. When he was born, he was taken to the Ka'aba, dedicated to the
gods of Ka'aba, and named Abdul Ka'aba.

Childhood. Abu Bakr's family enjoyed affluence, and he was
born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. No detailed accounts are
available about the life of Abu Bakr during the period of childhood. Like other
Arab children, he spent early years in the open air of the desert. He grew as a
typical son of the soil. The leanness and barrenness of the land around him was
reflected in his physique. He was lean and thin with a slender constitution, but
was otherwise very hardy and had a strong mind. He had the tenacity and the
strength of the rocks around him. Like the golden sand of the desert, his face
glowed with a white and red complexion. By all standards he was beautiful, and
for his beauty he earned the surname of 'Atiq'.

Abu Bakr. Having been bred up in the early years in the midst
of the Bedouins who called themselves 'Ahl-i-Ba'eer'- the people of the camel,
he developed particular fondness for camels. In the early years he played with
the young ones of the camels, and his love for the camels earned him the surname
of "Abu Bakr-the father of the foal of the camel."

Abu Bakr's encounter with the idols of the Ka'aba. A story is
preserved that once when Abu Bakr was a child, his father took him to the Ka'aba,
and asked him to pray before the idols. His father went away to attend to some
other business, and Abu Bakr was left alone with the idols. Addressing an idol,
Abu Bakr said, "O my God, I am in need of beautiful clothes, bestow them on me."
The idol remained indifferent. Then Abu Bakr addressing another idol said, "O
God, give me some delicious food. I am so hungry." The idol remained cold to the
prayer. That exhausted the patience of young Abu Bakr. He lifted a stone, and
addressing an idol said, "Here I am aiming a stone; if you are a God protect
yourself." Abu Bakr hurled the stone at the idol, which broke into pieces. Abu
Bakr left the Ka'aba. Thereafter Abu Bakr never prayed to the idols in the
Ka'aba. This Abraham style of encounter with the idols made Abu Bakr a Muslim at
heart long before his formal profession of Islam.

The monk Bahira. Jalal-ud-Din Syuti has preserved an account
that when at the age of twelve, the Holy Prophet accompanied his Uncle Abu Talib
along with a trade caravan, Abu Bakr was also with the caravan. The Holy Prophet
reclined under a lote tree. The monk Bahira asked Abu Bakr as to who was the
person who was reclining under the lote tree. Abu Bakr told the monk that he was
Muhammad the son Abdullah. Thereupon the monk said, "Then, by Allah he is the
prophet for none has taken shelter under this tree since the time of Jesus, the
son of Mary." The war of Fijar. During the eighties of the sixth century, there
was the war of Fijar between the Hawazin and the Quraish. We know that the Holy
Prophet participated in this war, and his role lay in picking up the stray
arrows thrown by the enemy, and handing to his Uncle Abu Talib. The sources are
silent about the participation of Abu Bakr. We can, however, safely presume that
Abu Bakr would have also participated in this war and played some peripheral
role. Hilf-ul-Fudul. After the war of Fijar, the "Hif-ul-Fudul" was set up at
Makkah. Its avowed object was to help all wronged persons I the redressing of
their wrongs. The Holy Prophet often said that he was proud of the oath that he
had taken about the fulfillment of the objectives of the "Hilf-ul-Fudul." The
sources make no reference to Abu Bakr in this respect. The organization was set
up at the house of Abdullah b Jad'aan who belonged to the same clan of the
Quraish as Abu Bakr, we have thus reason to presume that Abu Bakr was also a
member of the league and subscribed to its objective. Disciplined life. Though
bred and brought up in an aristocratic family in the midst of an idolatrous
society, conspicuous for indulgence in wine, women, and gambling. Abu Bakr
resisted these temptations and led a disciplined life avoiding the frolics,
frivolities, and dissipations that characterized the life of the contemporary
youth of Makkah. Once Abu Bakr was asked whether he ever drank wine during the
days of ignorance. He replied, "God forbid, I never touched wine even in the
days of ignorance." He was asked, "why", and he said, "I sought to preserve my
reputation and retain my decorum, and verily he who drinks wine destroys his
reputation and his decorum." This shows that Abu Bakr enjoyed a good reputation
and was known for his decorum.

Education. As in the case of other Arab children, he did not
receive any formal education. He was, however, a keen observer and observed
things around him with a keen sense of perception. Even at an early age, he
developed an eloquent way of expression. He even composed verses. He used to
attend the annual fair at 'Ukaz, and participate in poetical symposia. He had a
very good memory, and could recite verses after he had heard them only once.

Occupation. At the age of eighteen, Abu Bakr went into trade
and adopted the profession of a cloth merchant which was the family's business.
Makkah was a commercial center at the crossing of the caravan routes from Yemen
to Syria and Iraq to Abyssinia, and the Quraish of Makkah sponsored trade
caravans to Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Abyssinia. Abu Bakr traveled extensively
with such caravans. Business trips took him to Yemen, Syria, and elsewhere.
These travels brought him wealth, added to his experience, and broadened his
outlook. He was honest, hardworking, steadfast. generous, hospitable, and
diligent. These qualities paid rich dividends. His business flourished and he
rose in the scale of social importance. He came to be recognized as one of the
richest merchants of Mecca.

Political office. While still a young man, Abu Bakr came to
be recognized as the chief of the Bani Taim section in spite of the fact that
his father was alive. Abu Bakr was assigned the office of awarding blood money
in cases of murder. His office was something like the office of an Honorary
Magistrate. His judgments and awards were always fair and just which satisfied
the parties.

His marriages and children. Abu Bakr's first wife was Qutaila.
She belonged to the Bani Amar. She was the mother of Asma and Abdullah. Some
time later, Abu Bakr married another wife Umm Ruman. She was a widow and
belonged to the Bani Kinana section. She was the mother of Abdur Rahman and
Ayesha.

Character of Abu Bakr. In spite of being a rich man, Abu Bakr
was of a meditative cast of mind. As a trader he did not indulge in trade
tricks. He stood for fair deals, and above board transactions. He came to enjoy
reputation for honesty, and integrity. He had a wide circle of friends, and
commanded considerable influence in the contemporary society of Makkah. He had a
flair for social work. He delighted in attending to the sick, and looking after
the poor. He gave rich bounties to the poor, and felt pleasure in helping those
in distress.

Genealogical lore. Abu Bakr was expert in genealogical lore.
He knew intimately who was who in Makkah, and what was his ancestry. He carried
in his head minutes" details about the genealogies of various families in Makkah
He raised genealogy to the dignity of a science Abu Bakr had all the elements
that make a historian or a scientist.

Abu Bakr and the Holy Prophet. When Muhammad (peace be on
him) married Khadija and shifted to her house, he became a neighbor of Abu Bakr
who lived in the same locality. That was the quarter of Makkan aristocracy. Like
the house of Khadija, the house of Abu Bakr was double storied and palatial in
structure.

As neighbors Muhammad (peace be on him), and Abu Bakr came in
contact with each other, and were mutually attracted. Both of them were of the
same age. Both of them were traders and good managers. Both of them were kind
hearted and tender hearted gentlemen who felt for others. Both of them were men
of strong and sterling character. They were men of strong convictions, and when
they came to hold a particular view they knew no wavering. They never minced
matters and always called a spade a spade. Both of them were critical of the
evils that honeycombed the idolatrous society of Makkah. They had an identity of
views on various matters. They felt themselves to be kindred spirits, and that
set the base for life-long attachment between the two men who were destined to
make history.

Birth of Islam. One day in the year 610 C.E. when Muhammad
(peace be on him) was praying in the cave of Hira outside Makkah, the angel
Gabriel appeared to him, and conveyed to him the tidings that Allah had chosen
him as His Messenger, and he was to convey to the people the message of Islam.
That was a novel sensation. As the Holy Prophet came home, he felt agitated.
Khadija comforted him, and was the first person to be converted to Islam.
Khadija consulted her cousin Waraqa who was proficient in religious lore. He
gave Khadija the glad tidings that her husband was the Prophet of God, about
whose advent there were references in the scriptures of the Jews and the
Christians. After Khadija, Ali, then a young boy living with the Holy Prophet,
accepted Islam. Thereafter Zaid b Harith a slave whom the Holy Prophet had
adopted as his son became a Muslim.

Abu Bakr's conversion to Islam. When the Holy Prophet gave
the call of Islam, Abu Bakr was out of Makkah. He had gone on a business trip to
Yemen. When Abu Bakr returned to Makkah, he was informed by some of his friends
that in his absence Muhammad (peace be on him) had declared himself as the
Messenger of God, and proclaimed a new religion. On hearing this, Abu Bakr lost
no time in calling on the Holy Prophet.

The Holy Prophet told Abu Bakr full details of his experience
in the cave of Hira, the visitation of the angel Gabriel, and the command of
Allah to call the people to Him. On hearing the account, Abu Bakr felt inspired.
He felt convinced that what the Holy Prophet had said was the truth. Overwhelmed
with emotion, and elated with joy at the discovery of the truth, Abu Bakr said,
"I believe in you and your mission from the depths of my heart. I testify and
confirm that what you say is the truth. Call me to your religion, for verily you
are the Prophet of God and that is a great honor."

The Holy Prophet stretched his hand, and Abu Bakr grasped it
reverently as a mark of faith and allegiance. He declared with great solemnity,
"There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet and messenger." This
declaration forged new bonds between the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr. Heretofore
only three family members of the Holy Prophet, namely Khadija, Ali, and Zaid bin
Harith had accepted Islam. Abu Bakr was the first person outside the family of
the Holy Prophet to become a Muslim.

Significance of the conversion of Abu Bakr. In the annals of
Islam, the conversion of Abu Bakr was an event of great significance. Abu Bakr
was a rich merchant, and his business depended on the goodwill of the people
around him. He knew that his conversion to the new faith would make him
unpopular with people around him, and that would adversely affect his business.
He was well aware that by such conversion he would be inviting the wrath and
hostility of the Quraish. But his mind was made up. He felt convinced that
Muhammad (peace be on him) had discovered the truth, and was required of him was
to support the cause of the truth, whatever the cost.

Prior to his conversion, Abu Bakr asked no questions; he did
not enter into any argument, he laid down no conditions; and he wanted no
assurances. He did not hesitate even for a moment; no doubts assailed him; and
there was no wavering in his mind. His declaration of faith in Islam was
spontaneous as if he had been waiting for such a declaration all his life.

Years later, the Holy Prophet recalling the conversion of Abu
Bakr said, "Whenever I offered Islam to any one, he always showed some
reluctance and hesitation and tried to enter into an argument. Abu Bakr was the
only person who accepted Islam without any reluctance or hesitation, and without
any argument."

Reasons for the ready acceptance of Islam by Abu Bakr. Apart
from Abu Bakr, Khadija was the other person who had accepted Islam readily and
without any hesitation. In the case of Khadija we know that she had already a
premonition that Muhammad (peace be on him) was destined to be a prophet. Indeed
she had been prompted to marry Muhammad (peace be on him) because she had an
inner conviction that a great destiny awaited Muhammad.

It appears that Abu Bakr had a similar inner conviction that
a great destiny awaited Muhammad (peace be on him). There is a story that when
Muhammad at the age of twelve accompanied his uncle Abu Talib along with a trade
caravan to Syria, and the monk Bahira on seeing Muhammad (peace be on him) had
foretold prophethood for him, Abu Bakr was also with the caravan, and since that
day Abu Bakr had harbored the conviction that Muhammad (peace be on him) was
going to be a prophet. Abu Bakr traveled extensively, and in the course of such
travels he had the occasion to learn from the Jewish rabbis and the Christian
monks that the advent of a prophet was expected. This implies that Abu Bakr was
already expecting the advent of a prophet, and when Muhammad (peace be on him)
proclaimed his prophethood, and by first hand knowledge, Abu Bakr knew of the
stainless character of Muhammad (peace be on him), he felt certain that Muhammad
(peace be on him) was the prophet whose advent was expected, and as such there
was no hesitation on his part in accepting the new faith.

As-Suyati's account of the premonition of Abu Bakr about the
advent of the Holy Prophet. In As-Suyuti's book History of the Caliphs, there is
an account which corroborates the conclusion that Abu Bakr had a premonition
about the advent of the Prophet. It is related that before Muhammad (peace be on
him) had declared his mission, Abu Bakr had visited Waraqa bin Naufal, who was
expert in Scriptures, and Waraqa had told Abu Bakr of the advent of the Prophet.
According to As-Suyuti, Abu Bakr is reported to have declared: "I had a
premonition about the advent of the Prophet. Therefore when the Apostle of God
was sent, I believed in him. and testified to him."

According to Al Bayhaqi as quoted by As-Suyuti, Abu Bakr
accepted Islam readily because he had been accustomed to behold the proofs of
the prophetic mission. Al Bayhaqi also states on the authority of Aba Maysarah,
the freed man of Abbas an uncle of the Holy Prophet, that when before the call,
the Holy Prophet went forth, he used to hear some invisible person calling him,
"O Muhammad." The Holy Prophet used to tell of these voices to Abu Bakr who was
his intimate friend.

Impact of Islam on Abu Bakr. Islam changed the course of the
life of Abu Bakr. Before conversion he was known as Abdul Ka'aba. The name was
indicative of paganism, and after conversion the Holy Prophet changed his name
to Abdullah. The change in name marked a change in the purpose of life for Abu
Bakr. He was no longer the servant of the Ka'aba; henceforward he was to be the
servant of Allah.

Change in family relationship. Islam brought a change in the
family relationship of Abu Bakr. His wife Qutaila did not accept Islam and he
divorced her. His other wife Umm Ruman became a Muslim at his instance. All his
children except Abdur Rahman accepted Islam, and Abu Bakr separated from his son
Abdur Rahman.

Abu Bakr's services to Islam. Abu Bakr was a man of shrewd
judgment. He was highly intelligent and was endowed with the sense to discern
the truth. When Abu Bakr accepted the new faith without any hesitation that was
indicative of the fact that Islam was the truth. The conversion of Abu Bakr in
fact set the pace for the extension of Islam. Abu Bakr commended considerable
social influence, and he pressed such influence into service for promoting
Islam. He made no secret of his conversion to Islam. Indeed he felt proud and
honored that he had been blessed with Islam. In fact he became the messenger of
the Messenger of God. He persuaded his intimate friends to accept Islam. He
presented Islam to others in such a way that many of his friends opted for
Islam.

Abu Bakr's missionary efforts. Those who accepted Islam at
the instance of Abu Bakr were:

Othman bin Affan

Zubair bin Awam

Talhah bin Ubaidullah

Abdur Rahman b 'Auf

Sa'ad b Abi Waqas

Umar b Masoan

Abu Ubaidah b. Al-Jarrah

Abdullah b. Abdul Asad

Abu Salma

Khalid b Saeed

Abu Hudhaifah.

All of them were men of status and high social standing and
they proved to be great assets for Islam.

After conversion. Before conversion to Islam, Abu Bakr used
to meet Muhammad (peace be on him) occasionally. After becoming a Muslim, Abu
Bakr made it a point to spend most of his time every day in the company of the
Holy Prophet. Conversion to Islam made a phenomenal change in the life of Abu
Bakr. He was little more than thirty seven years at the time of conversion to
Islam. He lived thereafter for twenty six years, and during all these years,
Islam was for him the end all and be all of existence.

Significance of the conversion of Abu Bakr. According to
Gibbon (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire)-"the moderation, and the veracity
of Abu Bakr confirmed thc new religion, and furnished an example for invitation.
"Muir has observed (Life of Muhammad): "Abu Bakr's judgment was sound and
impartial; his conversation agreeable and his demeanor affable and much sought
after by the Quraish and he was popular throughout the city.... The faith of Abu
Bakr was the greatest guarantee of the sincerity of Muhammad in the beginning of
his career, and indeed, in a modified sense, throughout his life. To have such a
person as a staunch adherent of his claim, was for Muhammad a most important
step."

Witness to Truth

Slavery. During the times of Abu Bakr, slavery was a deep
rooted institution, and was a conspicuous feature of Makkah. Most of the Quraish
were slave owners and thus in the society of Makkah there was a considerable
sprinkling of slaves. These slaves were the victims of exploitation, and were
treated in an inhuman way by their masters. Many of the slaves were attracted by
Islam, for in its teachings lay a charter of freedom for the distressed
humanity. Islam preached the cult of equality. It stipulated that all persons
were the slaves of God, and no person could be the slave of another person. When
many slaves accepted Islam, the slave owners of Makkah felt much concerned, and
considered such conversions as a threat to their economic interests.

Persecution of the slaves. Of all the persons who became
Muslims, the slaves were the most vulnerable. These men of the Quraish who were
converted to Islam continued to enjoy the protection of their respective tribes.
The slaves enjoyed no such protection. In order to arrest the progress of Islam
among the slaves, the Quraish accordingly resorted to a campaign of persecution
and torture against the slaves who professed to be Muslims.

Bilal. Bilal, an Abyssinian who later became the 'Muadhdhin'
of Islam was a slave of Umayyah bin Khalaf. Bilal accepted Islam and thereupon
his master subjected him to great torture. Umayyah would make Bilal lie down on
the burning sand, and would place a huge block of stone on his chest. Umayyah
would then ask Bilal to give up Islam, or he would be tortured to death Umayyah
would ,sometimes tie a rope round the neck of Bilal, and had him dragged in the
streets. Sometimes Bilal was made to put on steel armor, and stand in the hot
sun for hours. In spite of these tortures and threats, Bilal remained firm and
steadfast in his faith in Islam. The condition of Bilal excited the pity of Abu
Bakr. He purchased him from his master and set him free.

Abu Fakih. Abu Fakih was a slave of Safwan bin Umayyah. Abu
Fakih accepted Islam, and when Safwan came to know that Abu Fakih had become a
Muslim, he subjected him to great torture. He would bind him with a rope, and
drag him on the burning sand. Abu Fakih was asked to worship the idols, but he
said that he would worship Allah alone. His master put a very heavy stone on his
chest which brought out his tongue. In spite of these persecutions, the faith of
Abu Fakih in Islam did not waver. When Abu Bakr came to know of the pitiable
condition of Abu Fakih, he purchased him from his master and set him free.

Lubaynah. Lubaynah was a slave girl of Umar. She accepted
Islam, and Umar who had not accepted Islam by that time would beat her
mercilessly until he was tired. He would then say, "I have only stopped beating
you, because I am tired." She would say. "May God treat you in the same way". He
asked her to renounce Islam, but she stuck to her faith. When Abu Bakr came to
know of her sad state, he paid for her, and set her free.

Al Nahdiah. Al Nahdiah and her daughter who became Muslims
were the slaves of a lady of Bani Abdul Dar. Their mistress subjected them to
great torture when she came to know that they had accepted Islam. Abu Bakr
remonstrated with the lady at the treatment she meted out to her slaves. The
mistress said, "You have corrupted them; you may free them if you are so
sympathetic to them." Abu Bakr paid the price asked for, and liberated the
women.

Umm Ubays and Zinnira. Abu Bakr also liberated two women
slaves, Umm Ubays and Zinnira. Abu Jahl beat Zinnira on her conversion to Islam
to such an extent that she lost her eye sight. When she lost her eye sight the
Quraish said that she had lost her sight because of the curse of Al Lat and Al
Uzzah. She was asked to recant, but she remained steadfast in her faith in
Islam. She prayed to God, and miraculously her eye sight was restored. Abu Bakr
paid for these women and set them free.

Slaves liberated by Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr purchased the freedom
of eight slaves-four men and four women. The men were Bilal, Abu Fakih, Ammar,
and Abu Fuhayra. The women were: Lubaynah, Nabdiya, Umm Ubays, and Zinnira.

Abu Bakr's father's reaction to the liberation of slaves.
Most of the slaves liberated by Abu Bakr were either women or old and frail men.
The father of Abu Bakr said to him, "Son, I hear you are freeing old and weak
persons; why don't you free healthy and strong persons who could be a source of
strength to you?" Abu Bakr replied that he was freeing the slaves for the sake
of God, and not for his own sake.

Divine approval. The Holy Prophet of Islam was all praise for
Abu Bakr for his generosity in purchasing the freedom of slaves who were
tortured on the ground that they had accepted Islam.

The conduct of Abu Bakr was approved by God in the following
verses of the Holy Quran: "He who gives in charity and fears Allah And in all
sincerity testifies to the Truth; We shall indeed make smooth for him the path
of Bliss" {92:5-7}

"Those who spend their wealth for increase in
self-purification; And have in their minds no favor from any one For which a
reward is expected in return, But only the desire to seek the Countenance, Of
their Lord, Most High; And soon they shall attain complete satisfaction."
{92:8-21}

Migration of the Muslims to Abyssinia. As more and more
persons in Makkah became Muslims, the Quraish lost their nerve, and intensified
their persecutions against the Muslims. Seeing the afflictions on his
companions, the Holy Prophet advised them to migrate to Abyssinia, the ruler
whereof was known for his tolerance. When the first batch of the Muslims
migrated to Abyssinia, Abu Bakr decided to stay in Makkah to be by the side of
the Holy Prophet.

Boycott against the Banu Hashim. Some time in 617 C.E., the
Quraish enforced a boycott against the Banu Hashim, and the Holy Prophet and
whole of Banu Hashim, except Abu Lahab and his family, were shut up in a pass
away from Makkah. All social relations with the Banu Hashim were cut off and
their state was that of a sort of imprisonment.

Three groups of the Muslims. At this stage the Muslims came
to be divided in three groups. One group comprised of the emigrants to
Abyssinia. The other group comprised of the Banu Hashim who were
ex-communicated. The rest of the Muslims formed the third group. They were not
ex-communicated. but there was no relaxation in their persecution by the
unbelievers.

Abu Bakr's migration. Abu Bakr belonged to the third group.
He felt sad at the ex-communication of the Banu Hashim. As Abu Bakr looked
around him he felt much distressed. With a heavy heart, Abu Bakr left Makkah one
day with the intention to migrate to Abyssinia. He took the road to Yemen from
where he was to sail for Abyssinia. When he had proceeded some five stages from
Makkah, he met Ad-Dughna at Barka al Ghamaad Ad-Dughna was an old friend of Abu
Bakr. He was the chief of the Qarah tribe, a section of the Quraish. The Qarah
tribe was in alliance with the Bani Zuhra.

Ad-Dughnas's offer of protection. Ad-Dughna inquired of Abu
Bakr as to where he was going, and he told him that he was going to seek refuge
in Abyssinia as the Quraish of Makkah would allow him no peace. Ad-Dughna who
had a high opinion about Abu Bakr said: "O Abu Bakr, we cannot suffer you to go
from Makkah. You are an asset to the city. You are always keen to fulfill the
needs of others. You are so good and noble. I take you under my protection, and
you should come back with me to Makkah. Rest assured no harm will come to you."

Back in Makkah. Back in Makkah, Ad-Dughna declared that Abu
Bakr was under his protection and that no one should molest him in any way. Abu
Bakr built a small mosque by the side of his house. This was indeed the first
mosque built in the history of Islam. In this mosque Abu Bakr would pray and
recite the Holy Quran. Abu Bakr was tender hearted and he was so overwhelmed
with the depth of the Word of God that while reciting the verses he would burst
into sobs and tears. He had a sweet melodious voice, and his recitation from the
Holy Quran had a melody which appealed to the heart. Women and young men of the
Quraish watched him pray and recite verses from the Holy Quran with particular
interest, and they felt that if a man of the status and standing of Abu Bakr
could be so overwhelmed with these words, these must be the Word of God and
should have a ring of truth about them.

Withdrawal of the protection of Ad-Dughna. The Quraish felt
nervous. They apprehended that if Abu Bakr continued his prayers in the open, he
might attract some persons to him. Some of the leading Quraish went to Ad-Dughna
and said, "Have you given him this protection so that he may publicly injure our
feelings? He recites the Quran in a sweet voice, and we fear that he may seduce
our women and youth to his faith. You should advise him to pray indoors."

Ad-Dughna saw Abu Bakr and advised him that the most
expedient course for him was to pray indoors and not to annoy the Quraish. To
Abu Bakr there could be no expediency in the matter of faith. He said to Ad-Dughna
"You are advising me as I am under your protection. What if I renounce your
protection ?" "In that case I will have nothing to say" answered Ad-Dughna.
Thereupon Abu Bakr said, "Under these circumstances I renounce your protection.
The protection of Allah is enough for me."

Ad-Dughna returned crest-fallen, and he told the Quraish that
as Abu Bakr was no longer under his protection, they could deal with him direct
in any way they liked.

Deaths of Abu Talib and Khadija. In 619 C.E. Abu Talib and
Khadija died. Among the Muslims the year 619 C.E. came to be known as 'The Year
of Sorrow'. Abu Talib had been more than a father to the Holy Prophet. In spite
of the strong pressure of the Quraish he had protected the Holy Prophet. Khadija
had been for the Holy Prophet more than a wife. She had placed all her wealth
,which was considerable, at his disposal. She had given him love. She was the
first person to be converted to Islam, and had been a pillar of strength for the
Holy Prophet as well as the Muslims.

The passing away of Abu Talib and Khadija created a great
vacuum in the life of the Holy Prophet, and he felt very lonely and
disconsolate. In this hour of bereavement Abu Bakr tried to console the Holy
Prophet, and he spent most of his time in his company. It was the endeavor of
Abu Bakr that he should as far as possible fill the vacuum created by the deaths
of Abu Talib and Khadija.

Holy Prophet's marriage with Sauda. At the instance of Khawla
bint Hakim the Holy Prophet married Sauda bint Zama'a. Sauda was an elderly lady
and was among the early converts to Islam. She was a good housewife, and looked
very well after the house and the children of the Holy Prophet.

Proposal for engagement to Ayesha. Khawla bint Hakim
suggested to the Holy Prophet that he should marry some young lady as well who
could keep him company. Whom could he marry, inquired the Holy Prophet. Khawla
suggested that Ayesha the daughter of Abu Bakr would be a good choice. The Holy
Prophet left it to Khawla to pursue the matter with Abu Bakr. Khawla approached
Abu Bakr, and his wife Umm Ruman and made the proposal for the engagement of
Ayesha to the Holy Prophet. Abu Bakr felt honored at the proposal, but his
difficulty was that Ayesha was already engaged to Jubayr son of Mut'im, and it
was against Abu Bakr's code of conduct to break his pledge. When this difficulty
was brought to the notice of the Holy Prophet, he said that God would Himself
provide a way out of the difficulty.

Mut'im. Abu Bakr called at the house of A1Mut'im. Al-Mut'im
was still a disbeliever, and Mu'tim's wife said to Abu Bakr "O son of Abu Qahafa,
suppose we married our son to your daughter, you would turn him into an infidel,
and convert him to your religion". Abu Bakr made no reply, but turning to Mut'im
said, "What does she mean? " Mut'im said indifferently, "She is saying what you
have heard."

Abu Bakr said, "This means that you repudiate the
engagement." "So let it be," said Al-Mut'im.

Ayesha's engagement to the Holy Prophet. At the repudiation
of the engagement by Al-Mut'im, Abu Bakr felt happy, and returned home relieved
of a great burden. God had Himself provided a way out of the difficulty. Abu
Bakr hastened with the good news to Khawla, and asked her to invite the Holy
Prophet to his house. The Holy Prophet responded to the call, and formally asked
for the hand of Ayesha. Abu Bakr was overwhelmed with joy and emotion and said,
"O Prophet of God, all that I have is yours".

At a simple ceremony Ayesha was engaged to the Holy Prophet.
It was, however, decided that the actual marriage ceremony would be held later.

Age of Ayesha. In most of the accounts that have come down to
us, it is stated that at the time of her engagement to the Holy Prophet, Ayesha
was a girl of six or seven years only. This appears to be an understatement. We
have it on record that when Abu Bakr became a Muslim his children included Abdur
Rahman, Abdullah, Asma, and Ayesha. Abu Bakr became a Muslim in 610 A.D. and
Ayesha must be at least eleven or twelve years of age at the time of her
engagement, and not six or seven years.

Abu Bakr's relationship with the Holy Prophet. After the
engagement of Ayesha to the Holy Prophet, the new relationship further
strengthened the bond, between the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was now
not merely a follower or a disciple; he was the Holy Prophet's father-in-law as
well. That added to his stature, and Abu Bakr felt elated at the honor.

Ascension. One night in 620 C.E ., after the deaths of Abu
Talib and Khadija when the Holy Prophet felt sad and disconsolate, and things
for Islam appeared to be dark, the Holy Prophet was uplifted to the Heavens, and
there he was assured of the destiny of Islam. After this experience of ascension
the Holy Prophet declared that the previous night he had been carried from
Makkah to Masjid al Aqsa at Jerusalem, and from there he had ascended to the
heavens.

Reaction of the people. When the non-believing Quraish heard
of this visitation to the heavens, they regarded it as an absurdity, and
ridiculed the Holy Prophet for his declaration. They contended that a caravan
took a month to reach Jerusalem, and another month to come back, and thus it was
impossible for any one to go to Jerusalem and return in one night. They further
held that it was fantastic that a man should ascend the heavens.

Reaction of Abu Bakr. There were some Muslims as well who
wavered in their belief in the truth about the ascension of the Holy Prophet to
the heavens. Some persons went to Abu Bakr, and told him of the news of the
journey of the Holy Prophet to Jerusalem and ascension to the heavens. When some
persons expressed doubts about the veracity of the ascension, Abu Bakr silenced
them with the remarks: "There are many things beyond one's comprehension, and if
Muhammad (peace be on him) says that he went to Jerusalem and ascended the
heavens, it must be true for he never tells a lie, and being a prophet he
commands resources that are not available to others."

Witness to truth. On hearing the news, Abu Bakr hastened to
the mosque where the Holy Prophet was describing his nocturnal journey to the
people who had assembled there. After hearing the account, Abu Bakr stood up and
said: "All this is true. Your description is faithful and correct. I believe in
every word of what you have said, for you say nothing but the truth. I testify
that you are the Messenger of God, and God has placed invisible forces at your
disposal. As such there is nothing improbable in your ascension to the heavens."

Siddiq-the Veracious. The Holy Prophet felt happy at what Abu
Bakr had said. Addressing Abu Bakr, the Holy Prophet said: "Verily, Abu Bakr you
are the Siddiq. You have a penetrating vision and you can discern the truth
which an ordinary person finds difficult to understand. Surely many things can
be done under the command of Allah which ordinary human intellect may not be
able to grasp." That is how Abu Bakr got the honorific title of 'Siddiq'- the
Veracious (Witness to Truth), which henceforward became a part and parcel of his
name.

Quba. When the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr reached in the
neighborhood of Madina their first stop was at Quba, a suburb of Madina. As they
arrived at Quba the people crowded round them. As the people had not seen them
before, it was difficult for them to know as to who out of the two was the Holy
Prophet. Seeing this predicament of the people, Abu Bakr stood up and shielded
the Holy Prophet with his mantle. Thereupon the people came to know who was the
Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr stayed at Quba for a few days, and
then they proceeded to Yathrib which was named Madinat-un-Nabi or Madina in the
honor of the arrival of the Holy Prophet.

Reception at Madina. At Madina the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr
were given a royal welcome. The maidens of Madina mounted on the roof tops of
their houses and sang: "From the hill tops of the south, The full moon cloth
arise, With what a lovely call, Unto God doth he call, And we thank him for it
all. O you sent by Allah the Rahman We bow to thy demand."

The change. The world of Madina was quite different from the
world of Makkah. At Makkah the Muslims were a persecuted people, at Madina they
were the masters of their destiny. The life at Madina was a great break with the
past. The days of trial, tribulations and tortures were now over, the Muslims
were now set on the path of fulfillment. They were now poised to build a new
commonwealth and a new ideal society.

Construction of the mosque. The first thing that the Holy
Prophet called upon the Muslims to do at Madina was to build a mosque which was
to be the prayer house as well as the community center. The owner of the plot of
land selected for the purpose of building the mosque insisted on donating the
land free. The Holy Prophet, however, paid the price at the market rate, and
this price was paid by Abu Bakr. All the Muslims including the Holy Prophet and
Abu Bakr participated in the construction of the mosque. As the Muslims labored,
they chanted: "There is no life, but the life of the next world, O God have
mercy on the Muhajreen and the Ansar."

Within a few months the mosque was completed. It was square
in form each side measuring fifty yards. It faced towards the north, and had
three gates on each of the remaining three sides. Adjoining the mosque,
apartments were constructed for the household of the Holy Prophet, and for some
of the companions, including Abu Bakr. The mosque was a monument of simplicity.
The walls were made of mud bricks, and the roofs were supported by trunks of
palm trees. The apartments for the houses of the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr were
simple structures, and blankets of camel hair were hung at the doors. The
courtyard in each case was hardly six to seven paces in length, and the length
of the rooms did not extend beyond ten paces.

Rehabilitation of the Muhajireen. To rehabilitate the
migrants from Makkah in the society of Madina, the Holy Prophet established a
fraternity among the Muslims of Makkah and those of Madina whereunder each
migrant was paired with an Ansar of corresponding status. The brotherhood thus
established was unique in the annals of mankind. So strong and cordial were
these bonds that they even surpassed the relationship of blood. In this roll of
brotherhood, Abu Bakr was paired with Khaarij ah bin Zaid Ansari. Abu Bakr's
relationship with his brother-in-Islam was most cordial which was further
strengthened when Abu Bakr married Habiba, a daughter of Khaarijah.

Sukh. Khaarijah had his house at Sukh, a suburb of Madina.
Abu Bakr also settled at Sukh. When the family of Abu Bakr came from Makkah they
were lodged in the apartments adjoining the Prophet's mosque at Madina. Abu Bakr
visited them frequently but he continued to have his personal residence at Sukh.
He usually walked from Sukh to Madina on foot. Sometimes he rode on a horse.

Change in climate. The climate of Makkah was dry, but the
climate of Madina was damp. That adversely affected the health of the emigrants.
On arrival at Madina most of the emigrants fell sick. Abu Bakr also suffered
from fever for several days. During his sickness he was attended to by Khaarijah
and his family.

Trade in Madina. At Makkah, Abu Bakr was a trader in cloth.
He started the same business at Madina. He was a wholesaler. He had his store at
Sukh, and from there cloth was supplied to the market at Madina. Abu Bakr was a
shrewd businessman, and we have reasons to hold that his business flourished at
Madina in the same way as it did at Makkah. From the accounts, that have come
down to us, it appears that at the time of his conversion to Islam Abu Bakr had
an amount of 40,000 Dirhams, and that at the time of his death he left no money.
These accounts tend to give the impression that after conversion to Islam, Abu
Bakr did not attend to business, and subsisted all the years from 610 to 634 C.E.
on the original amount of 40,000 Dirhams. That is not the correct position. As a
matter of fact, Abu Bakr remained active in business throughout his life. It is
related that even alter he had been elected as a Caliph he took the cloth to the
market for disposal. At the insistence of Umar, and Abu Ubaida he suspended his
business activities and accepted a meager allowance from the treasury. This
shows that up to the time of his election as the Caliph, Abu Bakr remained
active in business.

Abu Bakr as the Chief Counselor. After attending to business
it was the wont of Abu Bakr to spend his spare time in the company of the Holy
Prophet. Abu Bakr always acted as the 'Second of the Two'. He was the Chief
Counselor of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet consulted Abu Bakr on all
important matters, and the advice tendered by him was usually accepted. The Holy
Prophet used to say that Abu Bakr was the best counselor. At meetings Abu Bakr
was always assigned a special place to the right of the Holy Prophet.

The Jews of Madina. In Madina there was a considerable number
of Jews They were wealthy, controlled the trade, and commanded great influence.
The Holy Prophet followed the policy of 'live and let live'. He accordingly
entered into a treaty with the Jews. According to the terms of the treaty the
Jews were to enjoy religious freedom and there was to be no interference in
religious affairs. The Muslims and the Jews were to be on friendly terms, and
were to help each other in the promotion of objects of mutual interest. It was
stipulated that Muslims and the Jews would help each other in case of an attack
by an enemy. No party was to give protection to the Quraish, and in case the
Quraish invaded Madina, both the Muslims and the Jews were to join hands in the
defense of the city.

Betrayal of the Jews. The Jews knew that in their holy books
there were references to the advent of a prophet in Arabia. They were however
under the impression that the prophet would rise from their midst. When the Holy
Prophet rose from the ranks of the Quraish in Makkah, the Jews recognized in him
all the signs of prophethood foretold in their sacred books. When the Holy
Prophet came to Madina the Jews thought that he would be subservient to them and
would acknowledge their supremacy. When the Holy Prophet followed an independent
policy, the Jews followed the policy of betrayal and embarked on a campaign of
ridicule.

Abu Bakr and Finhas the Jew. One day Abu Bakr came across
Finhas, one of the Jewish rabbis. Abu Bakr invited him to Islam, but Finhas
ridiculed the offer. The Holy Prophet had enjoined on the Muslims to spend in
the way of Allah, and according to the Holy Quran this was to be a loan against
God repayable manifold the original amount. The Muslims were forbidden to charge
interest. According to the religion of the Jews, interest was permissible. In
this context Finhas argued: "We are rich, but your Allah is poor for He asks
loan of us. Had He been independent of us He would not have given us interest,
which He has denied to you."

Abu Bakr felt outraged at this blasphemy. In a fit of anger
Abu Bakr slapped him in the face and said: "Were it not for the treaty between
the Muslims and the Jews, I would have cut off your head, you enemy of Allah."
Finhas went to the Holy Prophet and complained that Abu Bakr had struck him on
the face. When put to explanation, Abu Bakr said, "This enemy of Allah spoke
blasphemy. He alleged that Allah was poor and they were rich. At such insolence
against Allah I could not control myself, and I hit him."

Revelation of the Holy Quran. Finhas denied the charge
leveled against him by Abu Bakr. A revelation, however, confirmed what Abu Bakr
had alleged. According to the revelation it was said that Allah had heard the
speech of those who had said that Allah was poor and they were rich. About Abu
Bakr's anger, the following verses were revealed: "And you will certainly hear
from those Who received the Book before you and from the polytheists much that
is wrong, But if you preserve and fear God, That is the steadfastness of
things."

Marriage of Ayesha. When the Muslims were duly settled in
Madina, and the families of the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr had come to Madina, it
was decided that the formal ceremony of the marriage of Ayesha the daughter of
Abu Bakr to the Holy Prophet should be performed. Ayesha was now of age. The
crisis of Islam was over. The Holy Prophet was no longer a persecuted person; he
was now the ruler of Madina. The Holy Prophet needed a young lady by his side
whom he could love. One day early in 623 C.E., the Holy Prophet accompanied by
his companions went to the house of Abu Bakr at Sukh to seek the hand of Ayesha
in marriage.

Ayesha's account of marriage. Ayesha has left an account of
the wedding day in the following terms: "The Prophet of Allah came to our house
where many of the companions were waiting. My mother brought me sitting in a
litter on two poles. She made me descend; then she smoothened my hair, and
washed my face with water. Then she led me to the door of the house where she
stopped until I regained my composure. Then she took me to where the Prophet of
God was sitting in our house, and made me sit near him saying, 'These are your
people. May God bless them through you, and you through them'. The people then
left, and the Prophet consummated the marriage while in our house."

After the marriage. After the marriage, Ayesha was assigned a
separate quarter adjoining the mosque. Ayesha was handsome, intelligent and
eloquent, and the Holy Prophet loved her intensely. The marriage brought Abu
Bakr still closer to the Holy Prophet. There is a tradition that once a
companion asked the Holy Prophet whom did he love most, and he said 'Ayesha'.
'And whom do you love next' asked the companion, and the Holy Prophet said 'Her
father Abu Bakr'.

Jealousy against Ayesha. On account of the Holy Prophet's
love for Ayesha many persons got jealous of her. One day one of the other wives
of the Holy Prophet complained in strong terms against the favor shown to Ayesha.
The Holy Prophet wanted Ayesha to hear the complaint and reply thereto. Ayesha
replied with such force and eloquence that she won her case, Thereupon the Holy
Prophet said "Do you see how eloquent Ayesha is, and what great force is in her
arguments. She is after all the daughter of Abu Bakr. No wonder for her
qualities she deserves to be loved."

Fatima and Ayesha. One day Fatima the daughter of the Holy
Prophet at the instance of the other wives of the Holy Prophet complained
against the preferential treatment accorded to Ayesha. The Holy Prophet merely
smiled and said, "My dear, wont you love the person whom your father loves?"

Ordeal of falsehood. In 628 C.E. the jealousy of vested
interests against Ayesha culminated in what came to be known as the 'ordeal of
falsehood.' Ayesha had accompanied the Holy Prophet on the expedition against
Banu al-Mustaliq. On the way back the army camped for the night and early next
morning departed without realizing that Ayesha was not in the litter on the
camel. She had gone to answer the call of nature where her necklace dropped and
it was with some difficulty that she was able to locate the lost necklace. When
she returned, the caravan had left.

The scandal. Ayesha wrapped herself and lay down. After some
time a companion Safwan bin Mu'attal passed that way. He led his camel to Ayesha
which she mounted. Safwan walked on foot leading the camel Ayesha joined the
camp at the next stop. The interested parties made this simple incident the
subject of scandal and calumny. Hamna daughter of Jahsh, and a sister of Zainab
another wife of the Holy Prophet, Abdullah bin Ubayye the hypocrite, Mistah a
relative of Abu Bakr whom he supported, and Hassan bin Thabit, the poet, were
active in spreading the calumny.

The crisis. The Holy Prophet became cool to Ayesha and she
shifted to her father's house. Her mother Umm Ruman said, "My daughter, take
life calmly for it is seldom that a beautiful woman married to a loving husband,
having rival wives, will not have problems for them and other people." This
incident created a great crisis for Abu Bakr and he was at a loss to understand
what to do or not to do.

The revelation. One day the Holy Prophet called at the house
of Abu Bakr and said, "If Ayesha is guilty of what is said about her she should
repent and ask for the forgiveness of God." Ayesha said, "I swear I shall never
ask forgiveness for the thing you speak of, for if I admit, that will be an
admission of what I have never done, and if I do not admit you will not believe
me. At this some verses of Surah Nur were revealed to the Holy Prophet absolving
Ayesha of the false accusation against her. The Holy Prophet recited the
revealed verses and said, "Ayesha rejoice, for God has revealed to me your
innocence."

Umm Ruman wanted Ayesha to rise up and thank the Holy
Prophet. Ayesha said, "I will never get up, in gratitude to him for I have no
one to thank except God Who has declared me innocent."

The predicament of Abu Bakr. Ayesha next turned to Abu Bakr
and said "Father would you not have pardoned me if there had been no
revelation." Abu Bakr kissed her on the forehead and said, "What heaven would
cover me, and what earth would carry me if I judged that which I could not
know."

Mistah. The Holy Prophet went to the mosque and told the
people of the revelation. Those who had taken part in the calumny without any
proof were punished. Mistah used to get an allowance from Abu Bakr, and in view
of the part played by Mistah in the ordeal of falsehood, Abu Bakr decided to
discount the allowance, and swore that he would no longer help Mistah. On this
descended the verse: "And let not those who possess dignity and affluence among
you, swear not to give to kinsmen and the poor, and those who migrated for God's
sake. Let them forgive and show forbearance. Do you wish that God should forgive
you; And God is Forgiving, Merciful."

When this revelation was brought to the notice of Abu Bakr he
said, "Yes, by Allan, I want God to forgive me." Thereupon he restored the
allowance to Mistah.

Illness of the Holy Prophet. A short time after returning
from the farewell pilgrimage, the Holy Prophet fell sick. The poison which a
Jewess had given to him at Khyber had slowly penetrated into his system, and had
begun to show its fatal effects. The Holy Prophet felt that having fulfilled his
mission, his earthly life was to end, and he was to be summoned to his Master.

One night the Holy Prophet went to the graveyard and there
prayed for the soul of his companions who had fallen in the battle of Uhud. The
Holy Prophet felt that he was soon going to meet his dead companions. After the
visit to the graveyard the Holy Prophet came home and visited the apartment of
his wife Maimuna. There the fever became violent. The Holy Prophet assembled all
his wives, and told them that on account of his sickness it would not be
possible for him to visit the apartment of each wife according to her turn. He
wanted their permission to stay in the apartment of Ayesha till he recovered.
All the wives agreed to the proposal, and the Holy Prophet supported by Ali and
Abbas moved to the apartment of Ayesha.

The Imamat of Abu Bakr. The Holy Prophet directed Abu Bakr to
lead the prayers in the Prophet's mosque during his illness. Ayesha intervened
to suggest that her father be not entrusted with this responsibility. She said
that her father had a tender heart, and he would burst into tears while reciting
the Holy Quran in the course of the prayer. The Holy Prophet overruled the
objection and insisted that Abu Bakr alone should lead the prayers.

Holy Prophet's tribute to Abu Bakr. After shifting to the
apartment of Ayesha the Holy Prophet felt some relief. A day later he took a
bath. Refreshed by the bath, he felt some relief and went to the mosque to offer
the noon day prayer. At the conclusion of the prayer the Holy Prophet took his
seat on the pulpit, and addressing the congregation said: "There is a servant
whose Lord has given him the option between this life, and the life in the next
world close to the Lord, and the servant has chosen the latter."

Out of the congregation, Abu Bakr alone understood the
implication of the address. Tears trickled down from his eyes, and with a heavy
heart he said, "Holy Prophet, how can we live without you?" Thereupon the Holy
Prophet continued: "O people, it has reached me that you are afraid of the
approaching death of your Prophet. Has any previous prophet lived forever among
those to whom he was sent so that I would live forever among you? Behold, I am
about to go to my Lord. You too will go sooner or later."

The Holy Prophet paid a glowing tribute to Abu Bakr when he
said: "There has been none more bountiful to me for his unwavering loyalty,
devotion and sacrifice of wealth than Abu Bakr. If I were to choose a bosom
friend it would be he, but Islam has made a closer brotherhood among us all."

The Holy Prophet also directed: "Let every door that leads
into the mosque be closed, except the door of Abu Bakr." Thereafter the Holy
Prophet returned to the apartment of Ayesha.

The last address of the Holy Prophet. The malady of the Holy
Prophet increased, and his condition grew worse. The night following the seventh
of June 632 lay heavy upon him. He was overheard praying constantly to Allah for
His blessings. The morning of the 8th June brought some relief. Fever and pain
somewhat abated. Moving the curtain of his apartment he saw the faithful
offering their prayers under the Imamat of Abu Bakr. The Holy Prophet supported
by Ali walked to the mosque. The people made way for him, opening their ranks as
he stepped forward. Abu Bakr stepped backward to vacate his seat for the Holy
Prophet. The Holy Prophet told Abu Bakr by a motion of his hand to continue to
lead the prayers.

After the conclusion of the prayer, the Holy Prophet took his
seat on the pulpit, and addressed the faithful thus: "By the Lord ! As for
myself, I have not made lawful any thing excepting that which God has declared
lawful; nor have I prohibited naught but that which God has forbidden."

The Muslims felt happy to see the Holy Prophet in their
midst. They felt that the Holy Prophet had recovered, and that there was no
danger to his life. Abu Bakr greeted the Holy Prophet on his recovery, and got
his permission to go out of Madina to visit his family at Al-Sukh. Thereafter
the Holy Prophet returned to the apartment of Ayesha and Abu Bakr left for Al-Sukh.

Passing away of the Holy Prophet. After Abu Bakr had left for
Al-Sukh, the condition of the Holy Prophet grew worse, and within a few hours he
passed away.

When the sad news of the death of the Holy Prophet was
conveyed to Abu Bakr at Al-Sukh, he burst into sobs. Without the Holy Prophet,
there appeared to be no charm of life for Abu Bakr. Everything around him
appeared to be dark. The passing away of the Holy Prophet was a great tragedy,
and the grief of Abu Bakr was too poignant to be told in words. But then Abu
Bakr felt that that was not the occasion to give way to personal grief, in spite
of the stupendousness of the shock. The death of the Holy Prophet was verily the
end of an epoch, but that was not the end of his mission. His mission had to be
carried forward.

Abu Bakr in Madina. Abu Bakr wiped his tears and hastened to
Madina. Entering the apartment where the dead body of the Holy Prophet lay, Abu
Bakr removed the sheet that covered the face of the Holy Prophet. Abu Bakr felt
the pulse and then touched the body of the Holy Prophet. There was no sign of
life, and the soul had departed from the body. In spite of the paleness of death
the face of the Holy Prophet shone with divine radiance. Bending low, Abu Bakr
kissed the auspicious forehead of the Master, and choking with grief said:
"Master, sacred you were in life, and sacred you are in death. Since you have
tasted of death ordained by God, henceforth you will be immune from its
clutches. Your abode will now be in the Paradise close to Allah. From Allah you
came, and to Allah you have returned "

The faithful were assembled in the mosque. They sat in groups
here and there. There was an air of uneasiness in the atmosphere. There was a
whispering that the Holy Prophet of Islam was dead. There were suppressed sobs
and sighs. Many persons were weeping. What would happen to the Muslims when the
great Prophet was to be no more in their midst was the thought that disturbed
every body.

All eyes were turned to the quarter of Ayesha. The faithful
had the fond hope that the door of the chamber would open any moment, and the
Holy Prophet would emerge therefrom with his face radiating divine light.

In the courtyard of the mosque, Umar moved among people and
said: "Who says that the Holy Prophet is dead? I testify that he is alive, and
has gone to Allah like Moses, and would return to us after some time."

Abu Bakr's address to the Muslims. The door of the chamber of
Ayesha opened, and a thin frail old man walking stoopingly moved towards the
courtyard of the mosque. He was dressed in a long loose toga with a shawl spread
over his shoulders. His complexion was fair; his beard was dyed red; and he had
the look of a patriarch. He was Abu Bakr.

As he stood among the people, his furrowed face and tear
stained eyes betrayed the grief within him. In measured words he said: "Listen
to me, ye people. Those of you who worshipped Muhammad know that he is dead like
any other mortal. But those of you who worship the God of Muhammad (SAW) know
that He is alive and would live for ever."

A hushed silence fell on the assembly. They were stunned and
bewildered with the poignancy of grief. Abu Bakr wiped the tears from his eyes,
and turning to the people recited the following verses from the Quran: "Muhammad
is but a messenger, Messengers of God have passed away before him; What, if he
dies or is killed? Will you turn back upon your heels? And whosoever turns back
upon his heels will by no means do harm to Allah, and Allah will reward the
thankful."

Abu Bakr added. "Verily Muhammad the great Prophet of Allah
was a mortal. Having fulfilled his mission he has gone back to his Master. From
God he came, and to God he has returned."

Effect of Abu Bakr's address. The effect of Abu Bakr's
address was electrical in character. It appeared as though the people did not
know that the verses of the Holy Quran had come down until Abu Bakr; had recited
them that day. Umar said: "By God when I heard Abu Bakr recite these words I was
dumb-founded so that my legs would not bear me, and I fell to the ground knowing
that the Holy Prophet was indeed dead."

Crisis in the affairs of the Muslims. The death of the Holy
Prophet led to an immediate crisis in the affairs of the Muslims over the
question as to who was to be the leader of the Muslims after the Holy Prophet.

While the dead body of the Holy Prophet of Islam was being
prepared for burial the Ansar of Madina assembled at their meeting place 'Saqeefa
Bani Sa'dah' to discuss the question of succession to the Holy Prophet. The Holy
Prophet was the last of the prophets, and there was to be no prophet after him.
He was also the leader of the Muslims, and it was therefore necessary that after
him there should be some one who should be the head of the Muslim community.

The Ansars. At the meeting of the Ansars at Saqeefa Bani
Sa'idah', Sa'd bin Ubadah, a leader of the Ansars made a passionate plea that
the successor to the Holy Prophet for managing the temporal affairs of the
Muslims should be chosen from the Ansars. He argued that as they were the people
who had protected Islam and offered a home for the Holy Prophet and his
companions when they were persecuted by their own people, the Ansars had right
to the leadership of the Muslims. It was through the efforts of the Ansars that
Islam had grown and spread; their city was capital of the Muslim state, and it
was but meet that an Ansar should be the head of the State after the Holy
Prophet. When Sa'd concluded his speech, he was applauded by the Ansars. The
arguments advanced by him appealed to them, and it appeared that they were
poised to choose him as their leader in succession to the Holy Prophet.

Reaction of the emigrants. When the meeting was being held at
Saqeefa Bani Sa'idah it was reported to the emigrants assembled in the Prophet's
mosque that the Ansars had assembled to choose a successor to the Holy Prophet.
It was a critical situation. The burial of the Holy Prophet was a matter that
needed priority, but the question of choosing a successor to the Holy Prophet
was a question of life and death for the Muslim community, and if any wrong
decision was taken at that stage, the future of Islam itself was likely to be
jeopardized. Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu Ubaidah accordingly decided among themselves
to proceed to Saqeefa Bani Sa'idah' to negotiate the matter with the Ansars
before it was too late.

Abu Bakr's appeal to the Ansar. When Abu Bakr, Umar and Abu
Ubaidah reached Saqeefa Bani Sa'idah the Ansars were on the verge of electing
Sa'id bin Ubadah, the Ansar leader, as the successor to the Holy Prophet. Abu
Bakr took the stage and brought home to the people assembled, the gravity of the
problem. He pointed out that the matter did not concern the citizens of Madina
alone; it was a matter of concern for all the Arabs who had become Muslims. All
the Arab tribes were not likely to accept the leadership of the Ansars,
particularly when there were differences among the two principal tribes of the
Ansars themselves. Abu Bakr pointed out that under the circumstances the Quraish
who were the custodians of the Kaaba could alone provide the leadership for the
Muslim community. Addressing his appeal to the Ansar he said: "O Ansar, none can
deny the superiority of your position in religion or the greatness of your
eminence in Islam. You were chosen by Allah as the helpers of His religion and
His Apostle. To you the Prophet was sent on his emigration from Makkah and from
you come the majority of his companions and his wives. Indeed in position you
are next only to the earliest companions. Therefore it would be fair if we take
the Amirat and you accept the ministry. You should not be obstinate in your
stand. We assure you that we will do nothing without consulting you."

The Debate. After the address of Abu Bakr, Habab bin Mandhar
an Ansar leader rose to say that the Amirat was the right of the Ansars and they
could not forego their right. He added that the utmost concession that they
could make in favor of the emigrants was that they could have two Amirs, one
from the Ansars and the other from the emigrants,

Umar said that Islam stood for unity-one God, one Prophet,
and one Quran. It followed as a necessary corollary that the Muslim community
should have one Amir. lf the proposal of having two Amirs was once accepted,
other people would later lay claim to the election of an Amir from them. Such
multiple Amirat would lead to the disintegration of the Islamic polity. Umar
emphasized that in the interest of the solidarity of Islam they could not have
more than one Amir, and it was imperative that such Amir should be from the
Quraish, the tribe of the Holy Prophet.

There was some exchange of hot words between Habab and Umar.
Then Abu Ubaida appealed to the Ansars saying: "O Ansars you were the first to
help Islam: do not now be the first to take steps towards the disintegration of
Islam."

That appeared to have some effect on the Ansars, and they
seemed to hesitate to press their demand. Thereupon Abu Bakr took the stage
again and said: "God is our witness that we are not pressing the claim of the
Quraish because of any selfish interest. The proposal is based solely on the
interest and solidarity of Islam. To give you a proof positive of our sincerity
I declare before you that I do not covet the office. Here are Umar and Abu
Ubaida. You may choose any one out of these two." That softened the attitude of
the Ansars. Zaid bin Thabit an eminent Ansar leader rose to say: "In fact the
Holy Prophet was among the Quraish. There is considerable force in the proposal
that after him his successor should also be selected from among the Quraish. God
chose the 'Ansars' as helpers, and it is but meet that they should continue to
play thc role of helpers." Supporting him another Ansar leader Bashir bin Sa'd
said: "O Ansars, if we have secured a position of superiority in holy wars
against the polytheists and gained precedence in the matter of religion it was
with the object of pleasing our Allah and obeying the Holy Prophet. It is not
proper for us to make this a ground for self-aggrandizement. We should leave our
reward to Allah. We must realize that the Holy Prophet came from the Quraish,
and that the Quraish have the strongest claim for his succession. We should not
quarrel with the Quraish on this issue."

That turned the tables, and the Ansars now appeared to be
inclined to choose the leader from among the Quraish. Taking advantage of this
situation, Abu Bakr repeated his proposal that they might choose any one out of
Umar, or Abu Ubaida.

Election of Abu Bakr. At the offer of Abu Bakr, Umar rose
quickly to say: "O Abu Bakr, how can I or Abu Ubaida be preferred to you? You
are undoubtedly the most excellent of the Muslims. You were the 'Second of the
Two' in the Cave. You were appointed as 'Amir-ul-Haj'. During his illness the
Holy Prophet appointed you as the Imam to lead the prayers. Of all the
companions you were the closest and the dearest to the Holy Prophet. As such you
are dear to us. Stretch your hand so that we may offer our allegiance to you."

Umar made Abu Bakr stand, and then touched his hand
reverently in token of allegiance. Abu Ubaida was the next to pay allegiance.
Thereafter all the Ansars assembled there offered their allegiance to Abu Bakr
turn by turn. Only Sa'd bin Ubadah did not offer allegiance. Thus Abu Bakr was
elected as the successor to the Holy Prophet on the very day of the death of
Holy Prophet, the 8th of June 83 2 C.E.

Assembly of the people. On the day following the meeting at
Saqeefa Bani Salida, all the Muslims of Madina assembled in the Prophet's mosque
for Zuhr prayer, and for offering allegiance to Abu Bakr as the Caliph. The Holy
Prophet had come from God, and to God he had returned. What could not be cured
had to be endured, and for sheer survival the Muslim community had to perforce
express faith in some leader who could lead them, and follow in the footsteps of
the Holy Prophet All were agreed that such leader could be no one other than Abu
Bakr, the bosom companion of the Holy Prophet, the "second of the two" according
to the Holy Quran, and the man whom the Holy Prophet had himself appointed as
the Imam to lead the prayers.

Introductory address of Umar. Umar addressed the faithful
gathered in the mosque in the following terms: "I expected that the Holy Prophet
would outlive us all, but it was the will of God that after having fulfilled his
mission he should return to God. Verily, the Prophet came from God, and to God
he has returned. He has left with us the Holy Quran from which we can always
receive guidance. And we have in our midst, Abu Bakr, Companion of the Prophet,
and the "Second of the two in the Cave", who is undoubtedly the worthiest among
us to conduct our affairs. To strengthen his hands and to maintain the integrity
of the Muslim community, it is necessary that we should repose our confidence in
him and offer him our allegiance. Now come and offer bait (allegiance) to him."

Ceremony of bait. Having made this appeal, Umar requested Abu
Bakr to take his seat on the pulpit. Abu Bakr took his seat on the pulpit, a
step below that which used to be occupied by the Holy Prophet. This gesture was
expressive of the fact that the leadership of the Holy Prophet was to continue,
and the new leader was not to be the successor of the Prophet, he was to be his
deputy only. Abu Bakr stretched his hand, and the Muslims assembled in the
mosque filed past the pulpit touching the stretched hand of Abu Bakr reverently
as a mark of allegiance. It was a solemn ceremony, each Muslim acknowledged the
leadership of Abu Bakr.

Inaugural address. When all the Muslims, gathered in the
mosque, had offered their allegiance to Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr rose to address them.
After praising Allah and offering his tribute to the Holy Prophet of Islam, Abu
Bakr addressed the congregation in the following terms: "O people, I swear by
Allah that I never coveted the caliphate either by day or by night, nor had I
any inclination towards it. I never prayed to God openly or in secrecy to confer
the office on me. I merely accepted this office lest some mischief might arise
at this critical juncture in the history of the Muslims and thereby adversely
affect the interests of Islam. In fact a big task has been assigned to me which
is beyond my power to fulfil except with the help of the Almighty Allah and your
whole hearted cooperation. I wished to see the strongest of men in my place this
day. Now, it is beyond doubt that I have been elected your Amir, although I am
not better than you. Help me, if I am in the right; set me right if I am in the
wrong. Truth is a trust; falsehood is a treason. The weak among you will be
strong with me till, God willing, his rights have been vindicated; and the
strong among you shall be weak with me till, if the Lord wills, I have taken
what is due from him. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Prophet, when I
disobey Him and His Prophet, then obey me not. And now rise for prayers; may God
have mercy on you."

Abu Bakr and the Caliphate. The caliphate issue. Immediately
on the death of the Holy Prophet, the caliphate issue came to pose a great
threat to the solidarity of the Muslim community. The Ansars insisted that in
view of their services of Islam, the office should go to them. The Holy Prophet
was a Quraish, and according to the Arab custom, Quraish insisted that the
office should go to them. The Ansars by way of compromise proposed that they
might have two leaders, one from the Ansars and one from the Quraish. The
proposal militated against the solidarity of the Muslim community, and was not
agreed to by the Quraish. The issue did not concern the Quraish and the Ansars
alone; it pertained to the entire Muslim community. If the Caliph was chosen
from the Quraish, the tribe to which the Holy Prophet belonged, the other tribes
could accept him, but if the Caliph was chosen from among the Ansars, the other
tribes were likely to demand that they should also have their own Caliphs. This
would have led to the disintegration of the Muslim community. The Quraish wanted
the Caliph to be chosen from among them, not because they coveted power, but
because they wanted to maintain the integrity and unity of the Muslim community.

Election of Abu Bakr as the Caliph. It was with considerable
difficulty and after a good deal of discussion and even exchange of hot words
that Abu Bakr ultimately succeeded in persuading the Ansars to let the Quraish
have the office of the Caliph. Abu Bakr did not covet the office for himself. He
wanted that any one out of Umar or Abu Ubaida should be elected. Umar and Abu
Ubaida insisted that Abu Bakr should have the office. Abu Bakr realized that if
he hesitated, the Ansars might change their mind. Abu Bakr accordingly let the
people offer him allegiance. The entire process of election was spontaneous.
There was nothing preplanned about it. The things moved in the course they did
as ordained by destiny.

Abu Bakr's concept of the Caliphate. In the inaugural address
which Abu Bakr delivered at the time of the assumption of power, he declared his
concept of the caliphate in unequivocal terms. He held:

Help me, if I am in the right; set me right, if I am in the
wrong;

The weak among you shall be strong with me till God willing
his rights have been vindicated, and the strong among you shall be weak with
me till, if the Lord wills, I have taken what is due from him.

Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Prophet, when I
disobey Him and His Prophet, obey me not.

Sectarian differences. Unfortunately, the caliphate issue led
to sectarian differences. Accounts that have come down to us in this respect are
conflicting as well as confusing, and it is difficult for a student of history
to assess the correct position. According to one account, Ail offered allegiance
to Abu Bakr along with other Muslims. According to another account, Ali did not
offer allegiance, and opposed the caliphate of Abu Bakr. In this he was
supported by the Hashemites. It is alleged that Umar threatened to suppress this
opposition with force. According to another account, Ali offered allegiance to
Abu Bakr six months later, after the death of Fatima. Whatever the case, so much
at least is undeniable that Abu Bakr's allegiance was duly taken by Ali some
time during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. Ali was actively associated with the
administration during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. When Abu Bakr died, Ali in his
oration dilated at length on the superb qualities of Abu Bakr, and expressed
full faith in his leadership. Ali married the widow of Abu Bakr, Asma, and
looked after Abu Bakr's son Muhammad as his own son. This shows that the
differences, if any at all, between Abu Bakr and Ali were duly reconciled during
the lifetime of the Caliph Abu Bakr.

Nature of the issue. After Ali had taken the oath of
allegiance to Abu Bakr the controversy about the caliphate issue should have
come to an end, and it should not have been made a religious issue. The Holy
Prophet was a spiritual as well as a temporal leader. After his death,
revelations ceased, and the new leaders of the Muslim community were to be
temporal leaders only. The election of such leaders could be nothing but a
political issue, and it was not correct to make it a religious issue. On the
occasion of the farewell pilgrimage, Allah declared that He had completed the
religion for the Muslims. If the caliphate were to be a religious issue, Allah
or the Holy Prophet would have given instructions on the point. The very fact
that the Holy Quran as well as the Sunnah are silent in the matter of caliphate
shows that the matter is explicitly political and not religious in character.

Right of Ali. Some sections hold that in becoming the Caliph,
Abu Bakr usurped the rights of Ali, and he was therefore a usurper. On the face
of the fact that Ali did offer allegiance to Abu Bakr, though after some time,
this argument loses its force. Abu Bakr's avowed policy was to follow in the
footsteps of the Holy Prophet and to do things as the Holy Prophet would have
done if he were alive. Abu Bakr was very meticulous in carrying out all the
commands of the Holy Prophet, in letter as well as in spirit. When all persons
around Abu Bakr Holy Prophet him not to dispatch Usamah's expedition to Syria as
Madina itself was threatened with danger, Abu Bakr overruled the objection on
the ground that the order of the Holy Prophet had to be carried into effect.
When he was asked to appoint someone else as the Commander instead of Usamah, he
held that he could not reverse an appointment made by the Holy Prophet. It is
well-known that Abu Bakr did not covet the office for himself. This is
established by the fact that at the time of his death, he refunded all
remuneration that he had drawn from the public treasury as Caliph. Under the
circumstances, if there had been any indication that the Holy Prophet wanted Ali
to be the Caliph, Abu Bakr would have been the last man to stand in the way of
Ali.

Choice of the leader. It is well known that the Holy Prophet
left no instructions about his successor. Islam is from God, and in whatever way
the history of Islam has shaped itself is the unfolding of the Will of God. We
cannot, therefore, say that if the Holy Prophet did not nominate a successor, it
was an omission or an accident. We must hold that such omission to nominate a
successor was deliberate, and in accordance with the Will of God. The intention
obviously was that the matter being political in nature, the community should in
the matter stand on its legs, and choose the leader for itself.

Claim of Ali. Ali's claim was not based on seniority or
merit; it was based on inheritance. The Holy Prophet declared in unequivocal
terms that in the case of prophets, there was nothing to be inherited. The Holy
Prophet did beget some sons but they did not survive. It appears that there was
a set purpose behind that. The Holy Prophet was the last of the prophets, and it
was accordingly the Will of God that with his death, there was the end of the
prophethood, and there was nothing to be inherited. The caliphate could not be
claimed on the basis of inheritance, it was a political office, and the
community was free to choose, whomsoever they liked. If for some reason, Ali was
not chosen, this could not be made a ground for religious grievance.

Judgment on the caliphate of Abu Bakr. In passing any
judgment on the caliphate of Abu Bakr, two points deserve particular
consideration. The first point is that we have definite indications that the
Holy Prophet wanted Abu Bakr to succeed him. The second point is that the
caliphate of Abu Bakr must be judged on the basis of its results. With regard to
the first point, the Holy Prophet appointed Abu Bakr as the Imam, and that
vested Abu Bakr with the mantle of the leadership of the Muslim community. The
Holy Prophet declared that he was under obligation to no one other than Abu Bakr.
The Holy Prophet also declared that all doors opening in the mosque should be
closed except the door of the quarter of Abu Bakr.

As regards the second point it has to be borne in mind that
when Abu Bakr was elected as the Caliph, Islam was confined to Makkah, Madina,
and Taif only, and in the rest of Arabia the tribes had risen against Islam.
When barely two years later, Abu Bakr died, the whole of Arabia was in the fold
of Islam and even Iraq and Syria had come under the domination of Islam. The
irresistible conclusion is that such a man could not be a usurper.

The verdict of history is that Abu Bakr successfully and
faithfully carried out the mission of the Holy Prophet, and his policy aimed at
securing the integrity and unity of the Muslim community, paid rich dividends.
Nothing succeeds like success, and in view of the outstanding success of the
caliphate of Abu Bakr, it should not be made the subject of any sectarian
prejudices.

Usamah's expedition to Syria. On assuming the caliphate the
first issue that Abu Bakr was called upon to decide was whether the expedition
to Syria which the Holy Prophet had directed to be sent under the command of
Usamah should proceed to its destination, or should it be abandoned because of
the change in circumstances following the death of the Holy Prophet.

The background. The background of the expedition was that in
629 C.E. the Holy Prophet had sent an expedition against the Syrians under Zaid
bin Harith. In the confrontation that had taken place at Mutah, Zaid had been
martyred. The command was then taken over by Jafar bin Abu Talib. He too met
martyrdom. Abdullah bin Rawahah who next took the command was also martyred. At
that critical juncture, Khalid bin Walid took the command. By his superb
strategy he succeeded in retrieving the position and bringing back the Muslim
forces safely to Madina. For this act of heroism, Khalid bin Walid received from
the Holy Prophet the title of Saifullah--the Sword of Allah. In 630 C.E. the
Holy Prophet himself led an expedition to Tabuk. The Byzantines avoided a
confrontation with the Muslim army which returned to Madina without any action.
In 632 C.E., on return from the 'farewell pilgrimage,' the Holy Prophet ordered
a detachment to be sent against the Syrians under the command of Usamah the son
of Zaid bin Harith. Some persons objected to the command of Usamah on the ground
that he was a mere youth of nineteen. Usamah was very dear to the Holy Prophet.
He was the son of Zaid who was an adopted son of the Holy Prophet. The Holy
Prophet accordingly loved Usamah as a grandson. When the Holy Prophet entered
Makkah after the peace of Hudaibiya, Usamah had the honor of sitting on the
camel behind the Holy Prophet. Usamah was very brave, and on the occasion of the
battle of Uhud he volunteered to fight when he was only a child. The Holy
Prophet wanted the Muslims not to object to the command of Usamah for he was
worthy of the command.

When the Holy Prophet fell ill, the detachment of Usamah was
encamped at Jorf a few miles from Madina on the road to Syria. On account of the
serious illness of the Holy Prophet, Usamah delayed his departure. When the Holy
Prophet died, Usamah returned to Madina and sought further orders.

Advisability of undertaking the expedition. Abu Bakr was
advised that, as at that critical stage in the history of Islam, most of the
tribes had apostatized from Islam and Madina itself was surrounded by hostile
tribes, it was not advisable to send the army outside the country. Abu Bakr said
that it was the wish of the Holy Prophet that the army should be sent to Syria
and this wish of the Master should be fulfilled at all costs. When some of the
companions reiterated the danger to which Madina was exposed, Abu Bakr declared
in unequivocal terms: "Who am I to withhold the army that the Holy Prophet had
ordained to proceed? Come what may: let Madina stand or fall; the Caliphate live
or perish, the command of the Holy Prophet shall be carried out."

The view of Abu Bakr was not based on any obstinacy or
foolhardiness. It was based on ideal loyalty to the Holy Prophet envisaging the
carrying out of his wish, coupled with the faith that whatever the Holy Prophet
had ordered was in the best interests of the community. Against the firmness of
the stand of Abu Bakr, the companions of Abu Bakr could offer no argument.

Command of Usamah. It was contended before Abu Bakr with
considerable vehemence that in case the expedition was necessarily to be
dispatched, there should be a change in the command, and some veteran and
seasoned General should be appointed as the Commander instead of Usamah. Umar
was commissioned by the companions to put up this demand before the Caliph. Abu
Bakr listened attentively to what Umar had to say, and then said: "Umar, Usamah
was appointed by the Holy Prophet, and you want me to veto the appointment made
by the Holy Prophet. Does it lie in your mouth to take such a recommendation?
How can I as the Caliph of the Holy Prophet cancel an order made by the Holy
Prophet after due consideration. Go, and tell those who have commissioned you to
make this recommendation that this is sheer sacrilege, and as long as Abu Bakr
lives he cannot be party to such a sacrilegious act."

This reply considerably embarrassed Umar. He felt sorry for
making the recommendation which evoked bitter comments from the Caliph. He
returned to Jorf and told all concerned as to what had transpired between him
and the Caliph. He was very bitter with those who had chosen him as their
spokesman for making a recommendation to the Caliph to make a change in the
command.

Departure of the army. Abu Bakr directed the army to depart
on its mission. Abu Bakr went to Jorf to bid farewell to the army and addressed
them in the following terms: "See that you avoid treachery. Depart not in any
wise from the right. Do not mutilate any one. You should not kill children,
women or old men. Do not injure the date palm; do not burn it. Do not cut down
any tree wherein there is food for men and beasts. Do not slay the flocks of
herds of camels save for needful sustenance. You may eat of the meat that the
men of the land may bring to you in their vessels, making mention thereon of the
name of Allah. Do not molest the monks in the churches, and leave them to
themselves. Now march forward in the name of God. Fulfil the mission entrusted
to you. May Allah protect you from sword and pestilence!"

Abu Bakr walked for some distance alone with the army to see
it depart. Usamah who was riding on horseback prayed that he should be permitted
to dismount, or the Caliph should also ride on a horse. Abu Bakr said: "No.
neither should you dismount, nor would I mount a horse. You ride in the service
of God, and I shall account to God for these steps that I take in your company."

The Campaign. The army of Usamah left Jorf towards the close
of June 632 C.E. After a ten days march, the Muslim army penetrated into the
region of Wadi-al-Qara, and fell on Banu al-Qidzah and other border tribes.
Usamah rode on his father's horse 'Sabah". He sought the person who had killed
his father at the battle of Mutah, and having recognized him put him to the
sword. The Byzantine forces avoided confrontation with the Muslim force, and the
border tribes left to themselves were no match for the Muslim forces. They were
thoroughly discomfited, and hastened to offer allegiance to the authorities at
Madina. The expedition proved to be a great success. It secured the safety of
the frontier with the Byzantines and averted the threat of any attack from the
Byzantines. The success that attended the Muslim arms made the unruly tribes
realize that Islam was not dead with the death of the Holy Prophet, and that the
Muslims were strong enough to meet all emergencies. Usamah's army returned to
Madina, in August 632 C.E. laden with considerable booty. On return to Madina,
the army of Usamah was given a tumultuous welcome.

political organization

Government of Abu Bakr. As Caliph, Abu Bakr was the Head of
the Government of the Islamic State. Abu Bakr held Government to be a sacred
trust, and he ran Government as if he were administering the affairs of a trust.
To Abu Bakr, the office of the Caliph was not a means of earthly glory; he
regarded it as a burden that he had to discharge in the interest of Islam. About
the nature of his office, and his responsibilities he declared in unequivocal
terms: "O ye men, now do I long that some one else may take the burden of the
State on his shoulders. If you expect from me that I should come up to the
standard set by the Holy Prophet, then you must know that I cannot fulfil your
expectations because he was immune from all sins and had the assistance of
divine revelations while I am an ordinary man subject to human fallibility."

Character of Polity. Abu Bakr took pains to impress upon the
people that he was only the first among the equals. For him, all men, rich or
poor, high or low were equal. His rule was the rule of the law, but the law that
he had to administer was not man made law: it was divine law. There is no
priesthood in Islam, and as such the caliphate was not a theocracy. As all power
lay with the people, the political order was democratic in character, but the
democracy was not like the democracy we know today. In the polity that Abu Bakr
administered the will of the people was paramount, but it was subject to divine
will. As such the polity was neither theocracy nor democracy in the sense in
which the West understands these terms. It was democracy under the umbrella of
divinity, the vicegerency of the people organized to carry into effect the will
of God as embodied in Islam.

Constitutional ruler. Abu Bakr was a constitutional ruler as
his rule was subject to constitution. But the constitution in this case was not
man made; it was divine. As a ruler; Abu Bakr had to discharge a three-fold
responsibility. He was responsible to God, and it was his responsibility to
enforce the commandments of God as contained in the Holy Quran. He was
responsible to the Holy Prophet, and it was his endeavor to follow in the
footsteps of the Holy Prophet, and prove himself to be a true representative of
the Holy Prophet. In this respect he had to seek guidance from the Sunnah. He
was also responsible to the people. It was his endeavor to ensure that all that
he did commanded the approval of the people. As Caliph, Abu Bakr was the Head of
the State as well as the Government. As representative of the Holy Prophet he
was also the religious head. He wielded power, but the polity was organized in
such a way that power did not lead to corruption; it served as an instrument of
service. As Caliph, Abu Bakr was more of a father to the people than as the
ruler.

Advisory Council. The Caliph was aided by an Advisory
Council. It comprised all companions. There was, however, nothing hard and fast
about the Advisory Council. Its constitution, its conduct of business were all
informal. All decisions were arrived at through the process of consensus. There
was no monopoly about the Advisory Council. Even an ordinary Muslim could
express his views and render advice. It was open to the Caliph to accept or not
to accept the advice offered to him, but whenever Abu Bakr did not accept the
advice tendered to him, he advanced reason therefore.

Secretariat. The Government of Abu Bakr carried
correspondence. Ali, Usman, and Zaid b Thabit acted as Secretaries. There was,
however, no elaborate Secretariat. No remuneration was paid to the Secretaries.
There were no palatial buildings to house the Government offices. All Government
business was conducted in the main mosque at Madina. There were no elaborate
departments for the conduct of Government business. There was however division
of functions among the Companions, and each Companion was responsible for
specified functions. Umar acted as a Minister to the Caliph, and was in charge
of judicial administration. Abu Ubaida Jarrah was in charge of the financial
administration.

Caliphal duties. As Caliph, Abu Bakr did not live in any
palace. He lived in an ordinary house as a commoner. He was accessible to every
person. If any person had any grievance, he could place it before the Caliph
without any difficulty or formality. Abu Bakr always took prompt steps to
redress the grievances of the people. Abu Bakr personally led the prayers. He
reviewed the problems every week in the Friday Khutba and took the people in
confidence in formulating his policies.

Local administration. For the purpose of local
administration, the country was divided into provinces each under a Governor.
Arabia proper was divided into ten provinces, namely, Madina, Makkah, Taif,
San'a, Hadramawt, Khaulan, Zubaid, Jund, Bahrain, and Najran. Iraq was divided
into three provinces, namely: Hirah, Dumatul Jandal, and Muzainah. Syria was
divided into four provinces: Hims, Damascus, Jordan and Palestine. The Governor
was required to lead prayers. He superintended the army; collected taxes;
administered justice; maintained law and order; supervised public morals; and
provided social services. He was aided by an Amil who collected revenues, and a
Qadi who administered justice. Subject to the payment of 'Jizya', the minorities
enjoyed cultural autonomy and managed their affairs themselves.

Social values of Islam. Islam revolutionized social life in
Arabia. The Holy Prophet set the pattern for Islamic society, and it was the
endeavor of Abu Bakr to follow in the footsteps of the Master, and promote the
social values of Islam. Abu Bakr was the embodiment of all the social values for
which Islam stood, Islam stood for piety, and by all accounts, Abu Bakr led a
pious life. He led the prayers in the mosque. All the Muslims in Madina gathered
for prayer in the mosque five times a day. On Fridays there were special
congregations. Abu Bakr addressed such congregations and delivered eloquent
addresses. Abu Bakr took steps to ensure that there was no lapse in the matter
of the observance of the injunctions of Islam. When his son Abdullah lost in the
love of his wife Atika failed to fulfil his religious obligations, Abu Bakr
asked him to divorce his wife. When some tribes suggested that they would offer
prayers, but would not pay Zakat, Abu Bakr declared that if they withheld even a
moiety of what was payable in Zakat he would fight against them. As a result of
this strictness on the part of Abu Bakr, the society came to be fully
impregnated with the values of Islam.

Egalitarian society. Abu Bakr took pains to build an
egalitarian society in which there was no distinction between the high and the
low. He said, "None should look down upon any Muslim for in the eyes of Allah
even an inferior Muslim is great". It was suggested to him that the spoils of
war should be distributed according to the status of the people. He did not
accept the suggestion, and insisted on equal distribution regardless of the rank
or status of the people. It was the endeavor of Abu Bakr that all those who were
destitute were provided maintenance at state expense. A story is told of a blind
woman who lived in a suburb of Madina who had no one to support her. Abu Bakr
visited her every day and looked after her needs. Wherever there was any person
in distress, Abu Bakr was always there to relieve the distress. As a result of
this policy of Abu Bakr, a society emerged which was free from social distress.

Social justice. Abu Bakr was very particular that due justice
should be done to all the members of the community without fear or favor
according to the injunctions of Islam. At the time of the assumption of office
as Caliph he declared: "The weak among you shall be strong with me till God
willing his rights have been vindicated and the strong among you shall be weak
with me till, if the Lord wills, I have taken what is due from him". Abu Bakr
strictly followed this policy and administered evenhanded justice. As a result
of this policy, a society came to be established in Madina, which was
practically litigation free.

Simplicity. Abu Bakr took pains to ensure that the people led
simple lives free from ostentation. Abu Bakr himself set the pattern for simple
living. He slept on the floor. His meals were abstemious. He attended to his
jobs himself. He lived in an ordinary house. There were no guards to attend to
him. According to Gibbon, "The pride of his simplicity insulted the vain
magnificence of the kings of the earth". It is related that one of the wives of
Abu Bakr once wished for a sweet dish. The Caliph said that he had no money for
such luxury. She said, "Then permit me to save something daily, and then have a
sweet dish when sufficient amount has been collected". He gave the permission,
and in a few days she saved some amount. Abu Bakr deposited this amount in the
public treasury, and got his daily allowance reduced by such amount as had been
saved by his wife. When some members of the ruling family of Yemen arrived in
Madina they wore rich attire. When they saw that the Caliph wore simple coarse
clothes they felt ashamed and discarded their finery. All the companions of Abu
Bakr followed his example, and vied with one another in simple and
unostentatious living. In this way the social life in Madina came to be marked
by simple living devoid of all show and ostentation.

Society of action. The pre-Islamic society was tribal in
concept and complexion; the new Islamic society was universal in character.
There was thus a broadening of social horizons. The society impregnated with
Islamic values came to be characterized by social refinement, social decorum,
social justice, and social health. That led to social solidarity and happiness.
The people living in such social environments came to feel that they had a
destiny to fulfil. That motivated them to play their part in the fulfillment of
their destiny. The society thus came to have a creative outlook and the Arabian
Desert heretofore known for the ignorance and backwardness of its people became
the nursery of heroes. The static society thus came to be transformed into a
society of action.

Moral values. The moral values of Islam provided the
guidelines for the social life. The people became accustomed to a disciplined
life in which there was no place for any frivolity. Care was taken to ensure
that in business matters there were no unfair deals. Great emphasis was laid on
above board transactions. In Islam there was no place for fraud or deception.
Islam called a spade a spade. The society over which Abu Bakr presided was
accordingly an elevated and purified society conspicuous for its high social and
moral values.

Women. In the new society women played a creative role. They
rocked the cradles in which heroes were bred. Women wrote poetry. Some women
like Ayesha were eminent scholars. Women fought in battles, e.g. Umm 'Amara,
Khaula, and Jawariya. The age produced beautiful women like 'Atika, Umm Hakim,
Laila the wife of Khalid and princess Kirama.

Character of the State. In the Islamic State under Abu Bakr,
the emphasis was on moral values, and the people were not motivated by material
considerations. There was no race among the people to get rich overnight.
Islamic laws operated to discourage the amassing of wealth. Islam favored trade,
but the faithful were enjoined not to indulge in any unfair practices. In the
Muslim society there was no economic exploitation of one class by another,
although there were slaves, they were not exploited, and in the families the
slaves were treated like other members of the families.

The economic levies. The economic levies were few. These were
limited to Zakat, Ushr, Kharaj, Jizya, and Fay. When the Muslims embarked on
their career of conquest "Ghanimah" i.e. the spoils of war became a major source
of revenue.

Zakat. Zakat had some characteristics of a tax, but it was
basically a religious obligation. It was levied on the basis of capital assets,
and the idea was that one who was endowed with assets should pay a part in the
way of Allah for distribution to the poor. It was in theory an instrument for
the equalization of wealth. A scale for the levy of Zakat was prescribed.
Usually the criterion was that for every forty rupees of capital, one rupee
should be paid as Zakat.

Ushr. Ushr was a tax on land produce. It was levied at
one-tenth of the produce, and hence the name 'Ushr'-one-tenth.

Kharaj. In the case of land in conquered territories, the
landowners had to pay a levy called "Kharaj". The rate of Kharaj was slightly
higher than the rate of Ushr in Arab lands.

Jizya. In conquered territories where the people did not
become Muslims they had to pay Jizya in lieu of protection to be afforded by the
State. It was a poll tax payable at a certain rate per able-bodied adult male.
The poor, the disabled, and the monks as well as the women and children were
exempt from the levy.

Fay. Fay was the income accruing from State land.

Ghanimah. In the days of Abu Bakr much wealth came to the
state on account of the spoils of war. The movable property won as booty on the
battlefield was known as "Ghanimah". Four-fifth of the spoils of war was
immediately distributed among the soldiers who had taken part in the battle. The
remaining one-fifth went to the State. The State's one-fifth share was further
divided into three parts. One part went to the family of the Holy Prophet, one
part went to the Caliph, and one part was spent for welfare purposes.

Annuities. When Abu Bakr assumed office as Caliph there was
no money in the treasury. After the end of the apostasy campaigns, Zakat came to
be paid by all the tribes and that eased the situation. With the conquest of
Iraq and Syria untold wealth poured into State treasury. The economic condition
of the people improved to such an extent that there was no one to get Zakat. Abu
Bakr, therefore, distributed annuities to the entire Muslim community, every one
receiving an equal share.

Economic prosperity of the people. The economic organization
of the Islamic State under the Holy Prophet and thereafter under Abu Bakr was
unique in the annals of mankind. The State had no salaries bill to foot. All
State functionaries at the higher level worked honorably. Military service was
performed on voluntary basis. Nominal taxes were levied on the people, and these
were returned to the people as annuities. In most cases what the State paid to
the people was more than what it had realized from them as taxes. Under Abu Bakr
the Muslim community was thus the most prosperous community ever known to
history.

Army. In the time of Abu Bakr, no standing army or mercenary
force was kept by the State. In the case of any emergency, recruiting parties
were sent to the various tribes to recruit volunteers. Inspired by religious
fervor for 'Jihad' and for patriotic and economic considerations, volunteers
willingly enrolled themselves in large numbers whenever there was a call to
arms. On this basis for every military expedition, a new militia was raised, and
when the expedition was over, the militia was disbanded.

Military service. Military service constituted the noblest of
professions in the eyes of the Arabs. "Jihad" was according to the tenets of
Islam incumbent on every adult male Muslim, and the entire community was
regarded as the army of Islam. No salary was paid to the soldiers. They were
allowed a share in the spoils of war. During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, so great
were the spoils of war, particularly in the campaigns in Iraq and Syria that
every soldier amassed so much wealth as sufficed for his lifetime.

The Caliph. As the Caliph, Abu Bakr was the Generalissimo or
the Supreme Commander. A commander was appointed for each column by the Caliph.
The Caliph personally awarded the standard to each commander. The commander was
responsible to the Caliph, and the Caliph issued directions from time to time to
direct military operations. The commander as the representative of the Caliph
presided at daily prayers, and all soldiers in the column were required to
attend the congregation.

Composition of the army. The army was composed of cavalry and
infantry. The cavalry was armed with shields, swords and long lances. The
infantry was armed with shields, and bows. The formation of the infantry was
generally in line three deep with lancers in front and the archers in the rear.
The cavalry was usually posted on the flanks. The cavalrymen wore chain armor
with steel helmets. The infantrymen were clad in tight fitting tunics. The
armies were always well provisioned. Long marches were made on camels.

March to the battlefield. The army marched to the battlefield
chanting verses from the Holy Quran. Orators were attached to every column who
exhorted the soldiers to do their duty to Islam, and to live up to the standards
of the Arab ideals of chivalry. The Muslims marched to the battlefield with the
beat of drums. They delivered the attacks with the shouts of "Allah-o-Akbar".

Offer to the enemy. Before attack, the enemy was always
offered three alternatives, namely acceptance of Islam, payment of Jizya or
decision by sword. Where a people accepted Islam, they were treated as part and
parcel of the Muslim community and no conditions were imposed. Where a people
wished to stick to their faith, and pay Jizya they were allowed cultural
autonomy and were guaranteed full protection. Where a people chose to fight, the
Muslim attacks were always violent, and in many cases the entire force of the
enemy was exterminated. Those who were taken captive were either released on
ransom or kept as slaves.

On the battlefield. All battles began with personal duels
between chosen warriors from both sides. In such duels the Muslim champions
always won. After such duels the battle developed into a general hand to hand
fight in which all the troops took part. On the battlefield the army divided
itself in five units called "Khamis". These were the center, the right wing, the
left wing, the vanguard and the rear guard. The flanks were covered by the
cavalry. The archers were so disposed as to cover both cavalry and infantry. The
organization of the army was based on tribal units. Each tribe had its own
distinct contingent with its own leader and banner. Many tribes marched to the
battlefield with their families in their train. There were special contingents
of women. They were employed as nurses, cooks, store guards, and water carriers.

Code of conduct. The soldiers were required to follow strict
code of conduct. They were required to observe strict discipline and
scrupulously obey the command of their superiors. Persons found guilty of breach
of discipline were punished. Where a soldier displayed any cowardice on the
battlefield he was subjected to the humiliation of his turban being taken off
his head. The soldiers had strict orders not to kill monks, priests, women,
children, the slaves, the sick and the aged. They were not to sack any town or
village, or destroy or ravage any arable land. There was to be no wanton
pillaging, no trees were to be cut, and no crops were to be burnt or destroyed.
No corpses of the enemy were to be burnt or mutilated. The dead of the enemy
were to be buried with due respect, and where requests were made for particular
corpses by the enemy, these were to be freely handed over.

Victories of the Muslims. During the caliphate of Abu Bakr
all the military campaigns undertaken by the Muslims ended in their victory. The
Muslims fought against forces superior to them in strength and numbers, but
victory always lay with the Muslims. The Muslims won reputation for their
invincibility. Even the biased western writers have been forced to admit that
during the period of the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the desert of Arabia became the
nursery of heroes. The story of the Muslim conquest of Iraq and Syria, the
miraculous exploits of the Muslim heroes, and the manner in which they dealt
blows after blows on the armies of Persia and Byzantium read like some fiction
from the Arabian Nights. And if truth were to be ever stranger than fiction,
that is so in the case of Muslim conquests under Abu Bakr,

Causes of Muslim victories. The main causes of the victories
of the Muslims during the caliphate of Abu Bakr were the high morale of the
Muslim soldiers, their religious enthusiasm, their endurance, their mobility,
and the superb directions of Abu Bakr. To these basic causes may be added the
unique generalship of Khalid, heroism of Muslim soldiers and the blessings of
Allah and His Prophet.

The Hadith. When companions of the Holy Prophet heard
anything from him, or saw him doing an act, they faithfully preserved an account
of what he had said or done. When all such accounts were compiled and edited,
the corpus became the Hadith, a source for the Muslims.

Items of the Hadith attributed to Abu Bakr. Out of the entire
collection of Hadith running into thousands of items, only 142 items are
attributed to the authority of Abu Bakr. Of all the companions of the Holy
Prophet, Abu Bakr was the closest to him, and one would expect Abu Bakr to be a
repository of a larger number of traditions. The comparatively smaller number of
traditions owing their authority to the reporting of Abu Bakr is attributed to
the extraordinary care and caution exercised by Abu Bakr in sifting the
tradition.

Ayesha's account of the preservation of traditions by Abu
Bakr. According to Ayesha, Abu Bakr had originally a collection of over five
hundred traditions, and he deposited the compilation with her for custody.
Ayesha relates that one night she noticed that Abu Bakr felt very restless. He
tossed about in the bed, and could not sleep. Ayesha got worried whether he was
suffering or was worried. He made no reply, but remained restless throughout the
night. The following morning he asked Ayesha to bring him the collections that
he had deposited with her. She brought the compilation and he set fire to it. On
the enquiry of Ayesha, Abu Bakr explained his conduct thus: "The collection
contained many traditions that I had heard from other people. I thought that if
I died and left behind traditions accepted by me as authentic, but really not
so, then I would have to answer for that."

Traditions authenticated by Abu Bakr. Some of the tradition
authenticated by Abu Bakr are as follows:

If the water is flowing, any aquatic animal found dead
therein would be Halal.

He who cleanses his teeth pleases God.

If a man is with Wudu, and then takes his meals, he need
not have the Wudu again.

He who offers the morning prayers comes under the
protection of Allah.

No prophet dies until he offers prayers behind some one of
his followers.

If any body sins, and then offers prayers of repentance,
Allah pardons him.

The prophet dies at the spot where he is to be buried.

The Jews and the Christians have earned the displeasure of
God for worshipping the graves of their prophets.

The dead man suffers because of the mourning over his dead
body.

Give in charity, even though it may be a single date.

Do your job yourself. Do not put yourself under the
obligation of any person for doing anything for you.

He who deceives a Momin (firm believer) is accursed.

He who is bad tempered, dishonest, unjust and tyrannous has
no place in paradise.

Prophets of Allah leave nothing to be inherited

He who travels in the way of Allah has a claim to
paradise.

Wherever there are two Muslims, the third one among them is
Allah.

Do not speak a lie, for a falsehood poisons faith.

A just ruler is the shadow of Allah on earth.

He who helps a person in distress earns the protection of
Allah.

If the people of paradise were to trade in anything they
would have traded in cloth.

He who wants to escape from torture of hell should not be
hard on the people.

If you wish for the mercy of Allah, be kind to His people.

The people who abandon Jihad will not prosper.

He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build a house
for him in the paradise.

Religion is the standard of Allah, hold it aloft.

On the occasion of the pilgrimage, the most excellent
actions are the raising of the voice in the talbiyah, and the shedding of the
blood of the animals brought for sacrifice.

He whose feet becomes dusty in the service of Allah, Allah
will preserve him from hell fire.

Infidelity moves more stealthily among my people than the
creeping of an ant.

There is no part of the body that complains not of the
sharpness of the tongue.

The thief must be put to death for the fifth theft.

The Friday prayer is an atonement for all that occurs until
the next Friday prayer, and ablution on a Friday is an atonement for ablutions
until the next Friday.

To every one who, has fought at Badr, is announced the
tiding of paradise.

He who condoles with a bereaved mother, Allah will cover
him with His shadow.

Origin of Fiqh. The Holy Prophet got most of his knowledge
directly from God through the process of revelation. Whenever the Holy Prophet
had a difficult point to decide, he got the guidance from Allah. After the death
of the Holy Prophet, the process of revelation ceased, and the task before the
Muslims was to take decisions in the light of guidance that could be obtained
from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. That gave rise to Fiqh, the application of
the principles of Islam to the day to day problems, and the settlement of
disputes.

Father of Fiqh. The process of Fiqh began with Abu Bakr, and
he is regarded as the 'Father of Fiqh'. He was the first to frame the rules of
Ijtihad. He laid down the principle that in deciding a case he would obtain
guidance the first instance from the Holy Quran. If the Holy Quran was silent in
the matter, he would look for guidance to the traditions of the Holy Prophet as
duly authenticated. If the traditions were also silent he was to decide the case
according to his best judgment He held: "If my decision is just then it will be
from God. If it is erroneous, it will be mine, and may God pardon me."

Primacy of Abu Bakr in the matter of Fiqh. According to
traditions, a woman came to the Holy Prophet in the last days of his life, and
asked for his decision on a particular point. The Holy Prophet was unwell, and
he asked her to come again. The woman said, "If I come next, and you are not
there, to whom should 1 go?" The Holy Prophet said, "In that case go to Abu Bakr".
That establishes the primacy of Abu Bakr in the matter of Fiqh.

Burial of the Holy Prophet. Immediately on the death of the
Holy Prophet controversy arose as to the place where the Holy Prophet should be
buried. Many different opinions were expressed in the matter. One view was that
the Holy Prophet should be buried in the Prophet s mosque. Another view was that
he should be buried in the common graveyard at Madina where his companions were
buried. One view was that he should be buried at Jerusalem where other prophets
lay buried. And yet another view was that he should be buried in the Holy Ka'aba
at Makkah. As successor to the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr gave the decision that in
accordance with a tradition of the Holy Prophet, the prophets are to be buried
at the spot where they breathe their last, and as such he should be buried in
the quarter of Ayesha where he had breathed his last. This decision commanded
the approval of all, and was duly carried into effect

Property at Fidak. The Holy Prophet had some property at
Fidak. The income from the property was utilized for the maintenance of the
family of the Holy Prophet, and for other beneficial purposes. After the death
of the Holy Prophet, Fatima and some other members of the Holy Prophet's family
lodged a claim for the inheritance of the property. Abu Bakr ruled that,
according to a tradition of the Holy Prophet, all that the prophets leave is for
the community, and the usual laws of inheritance are not to apply to such
property. Abu Bakr accordingly did not accept the claim for inheritance. He
ruled that the property would be state property, but the income therefrom would
be utilized for the same purposes for which it was utilized during the lifetime
of the Holy Prophet.

Exemption from Zakat. Immediately after the death of the Holy
Prophet when the wave of apostasy spread over the land, some of the tribes
demanded that they should be exempted from the payment of Zakat. The companions
around Abu Bakr advised that in view of danger that threatened the Muslims, the
demand should be exempted Abu Bakr held that the payment of Zakat was a
fundamental requirement of Islam, and it was not open to him to compromise on a
fundamental injunction of Islam. He accordingly rejected the demand, and
declared that if Zakat was not paid, he would fight for it.

Obedience to the orders of the Holy Prophet. During his
lifetime the Holy Prophet had ordered that an expedition should be sent to Syria
under the command of Usama b Zaid. After the death of the Holy Prophet the
general view of the companions was that in view of the danger that threatened
Madina, the expedition to Syria should be abandoned. It was held that if the
expedition was to be necessarily sent, a veteran commander should be appointed
instead of Usama who was a young lad of nineteen only. Abu Bakr held that as on
these points the Holy Prophet had already given specific instructions, it was
not open to him to amend or vary the orders of the Holy Prophet. He therefore
ordered that the expedition to Syria was to be undertaken under the command of
Usama as ordered by the Holy Prophet.

Murder of Malik b Nuweira. When in the campaign against Bani
Tamim, Khalid b Walid killed Malik b Nuweira, and married his beautiful wife
Laila and it was alleged that Khalid was guilty of murdering a Muslim, Abu Bakr
held that as Commander in the field, Khalid had the authority to exercise his
discretion, and if Malik had been killed it was, in the circumstances of the
case, a lapse and not a willful murder. Abu Bakr settled the case by paying
blood money to the heirs of Malik. When Umar insisted on the punishment of
Khalid Abu Bakr declared that he could not sheathe the sword, which God had
willed to be wielded against the infidels.

Al Faja'a. Al Faja'a, an adventurer posed to be a Muslim, and
got some arms from Abu Bakr to fight against the apostates. Al Faja'a betrayed
the trust. Action was taken against him. He was taken captive, and brought to
Madina where Abu Bakr ordered him to be roasted alive. Later, Abu Bakr regretted
the decision. He wished he had pardoned him or killed him in some other way.

Father's share. Once a man complained before Abu Bakr that
his father wanted to appropriate all that he had. Abu Bakr summoned the father,
and asked him to take as sufficed for his maintenance, and leave the rest to his
son.

A son disowned by the father. Once a man was brought before
Abu Bakr who had been disowned by his father Abu Bakr ordered: "Smite him on his
head for Satan is in his head."

Vow of silence. Once Abu Bakr went to a woman of the tribe of
Ahmas called Zaynab. She did not speak as she was under a vow of silence. Abu
Bakr said to her, "Speak, for silence is not lawful; it is one of the practices
of the times of Ignorance."

Loss of an ear. Once in a quarrel a person had been deprived
of an ear. Abu Bakr awarded him fifteen camels. He said, "The hair and turban
will conceal the disgrace of it."

Killing a man in anger. Once Abu Bakr was enraged with a man
and his anger became violent. One of the companions said, "O Caliph, shall I cut
off his head?" Abu Bakr said, "Woe to you, this is not lawful."

Unlawful food. Once a slave of Abu Bakr brought him some food
that he ate. Later the slave told him that he had earned some money by telling
fortune, and the food had been purchased with that money. Abu Bakr held that
such food was unlawful. He put his hand on his throat and vomited what was in
his stomach.

Pre destination. Once Abu Bakr was asked, "Do you think that
fornication by a man is predestined?" He was next asked, "If it is predestined
why should the man be punished?" Abu Bakr said, "The man is responsible for his
act, but God knows beforehand how a man would act."

Insulting the Holy Prophet and satirizing the Muslims. In
Yemen, a woman in her songs said nasty things against the Holy Prophet. Another
woman recited verses satirizing the Muslims. Muhajir b Umayya, the Governor of
Yemen cut off the hands of both the women. When the case was reported to Abu
Bakr he held that the women who had insulted the Holy Prophet should have been
killed, while the other woman who had merely satirized the Muslims deserved a
lenient treatment.

Asma bint Numan. In Yemen, Ikramah married a lady Asma bint
Numan. The marriage became the subject of criticism because at one time Asma had
been married to the Holy Prophet, and it was not lawful for a Muslim to marry a
woman the Holy Prophet had married. Abu Bakr decided that as in that case the
Holy Prophet had returned the lady to the tribe without consummating the
marriage, there was no objection to a Muslim marrying her.

Marriage to the first husband. Once a woman was divorced by a
person, and she married another man. Before her second marriage was consummated
she reconciled with her former husband, and wanted to return to him. Abu Bakr
ruled that she could not return to her first husband unless the second marriage
was consummated, and she was properly divorced.

The case of Umar's son Aasim. Umar divorced one of his wives,
and she took her young son Aasim with her. One day Umar saw his son playing in
the street. He lifted the boy and brought him to his house. The mother applied
to Abu Bakr for the restoration of the child. Umar resisted the suit, but Abu
Bakr decided the case against Umar, and awarded the custody of the child to the
mother.

Grandfather's share. In a case where the father was not
alive, but the grandfather was alive, Abu Bakr awarded to the grandfather the
share otherwise admissible to the father.

Share of the grandson. In a case where the son was not alive,
Abu Bakr awarded to the grandson the share otherwise admissible to the son.

Share of the grandmother. In a case, Abu Bakr awarded the
grandmother one-sixth share in the property left by the grandson.

Execution of the thief. Once a man came to Abu Bakr from
Yemen. His hands had been cut off for some act of theft. He stayed with Abu Bakr
for the night, and prayed for all the time. The man represented that the
Governor of Yemen had cut off his hands in a high handed way. Abu Bakr felt
impressed with the piety of the man, and thought that perhaps the Governor of
Yemen had been unfair to the man. In the morning, Asma the wife of Abu Bakr
complained that she had lost her locket. On enquiry it transpired that the man
had stolen the locket, and sold it to a goldsmith. Abu Bakr ordered the man to
be killed.

Mutilation. About awarding the punishment of mutilation, Abu
Bakr addressed a Governor as follows: "I have heard that you laid hands on a
woman who had showered abuses on me, and you got her hands amputated. God has
not sought vengeance even in the case of polytheism, which is a great crime. He
has not permitted mutilation even with regard to manifest infidelity. Try to be
considerate and sympathetic in your attitude towards others in future. Never
mutilate because it is a great offence. God purified Islam and the Muslims from
rashness and excessive wrath. You are well aware of the fact that those enemies
fell into the hands of the Messenger of Allah who had been recklessly abusing
him, who had turned him out of his home, and who had fought against him, but he
never ordered their mutilation." (Abu Bakr ke Sarkari Khatut by Khurshid Ahmad
Fariq.)

Thus spoke Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was of a contemplative bent of
mind. He often expressed his thoughts in words conspicuous for their wisdom. A
number of his sayings has come down to us, and these show the depths and
dimensions of his thought and philosophy. Some of the sayings of Abu Bakr which
have assumed the character of proverbs are given hereunder:

Greatness. About greatness, Abu Bakr said:

Run away from greatness and greatness will follow you.

There is greatness in the fear of God, contentment in faith
of God, and honor in humility.

Good actions. About good actions, Abu Bakr said:

Good actions are a guard against the blows of adversity.

Be good to others, that will protect you against evil.

If you expect the blessings of God, be good to His people.

Every day, nay every moment, try to do some good deed.

Death. About death, he said:

Have an earnestness for death, and you will have life.

Death is the easiest of all things after it, and the
hardest of all things before it.

Knowledge. About knowledge, he said:

The more knowledge you have, the greater will be your fear
of Allah.

Without knowledge action is useless, and knowledge without
action is futile.

Knowledge is the life of the mind.

When a noble man learns knowledge he becomes humble, when
an ignoble person gains knowledge he gets conceited.

When knowledge is limited, it leads to folly; when
knowledge exceeds a certain limit, it leads to exploitation.

Advice. In the matter of advice, he said:

When you seek advice, do not withhold any facts from the
person whose advice you seek.

When you advise any person you should be guided by the fear
of God.

If any body seeks your advice, offer right and sincere
advice.

He who is not impressed by sound advice lacks faith.

Kindness. About kindness he said:

If you expect the blessings of God, be kind to His people.

He who aspires to paradise should learn to deal with the
people with kindness.

He who fears to weep should learn to be kind to those who
weep.

Self-control. About self-control he said, "If you want to
control other people, first control your self."

Patience and confidence. With regard to patience and
confidence, he said: "Patience is half faith, and confidence is full faith."

Society of evil persons. About the society of evil persons he
held, "Solitude is better than the society of evil persons."

Honesty. About honesty he said, "The greatest truth is
honesty, and the greatest falsehood is dishonesty."

Treatment of Muslims. About the treatment of Muslims he said,
"Do not look down upon any Muslim, for even the most inferior believer is great
in the eyes of God."

Help and cooperation. About help and cooperation, he said:

"God blesses him who helps his brother".

"Do not non-cooperate with one another, and have no grudge
of jealousy".

"Muslims should live like brothers".

"God helps those who fear Him''.

"Allah will help him who moves in the way of Allah".

Jihad. About "Jihad", he said:

"The people who abandon Jihad fall a victim to humility and
degradation".

"Jihad is obligatory for the Muslims".

"To fight against the infidels is Jihad, but to fight
against your evil self is greater Jihad.

Intentions. With regard to intentions, he said, "Intentions
count in your actions".

Sadaqah. In the matter of the offering of "Sadaqah" he said,
"When you offer any Sadaqah to a beggar, do it with humility and respect, for
what you are offering is an offer to Allah".

Mosques. With regard to mosques he said: "He who builds a
mosque in the way of Allah, God will build a house for him in the paradise."

Way of life. About the way of life he said, "Follow the way
of life, which the Holy Prophet has shown you, for verily that is the right
path".

Prayers. With regard to prayers, he said, "He who prays for
five times a day is in the protection of God, and he who is protected by God
cannot be harmed by any one."

Neighbors. About neighbors, he said, "You should not quarrel
with your neighbor, for he will remain where he is, but your high handedness
will become the talk of the people".

Appearance of things. About the outward appearance of things
he said:

"Maybe a thing that you do not like is really in your
interest".

"It is possible that a thing that you may desire may be
against your interest".

Love of God. About the love of God, and the love of the
world, he said, "He who comes to take the love of God can have no taste for the
love of the world".

Becoming a Muslim. About becoming a Muslim, he said, "He who
becomes a Muslim does so in his own interest".

Falsehood. About falsehood, he said "He who indulges in
falsehood will find the paths of paradise shut to him".

Boasting. About boasting, he said, "He who boasts lowers
himself".

Pride. About pride he said, "Pride in the case of a rich man
is bad, but pride in the case of a poor man is worse".

Elation. In the matter of elation, he said, "Do not get
elated at any victory, for all such victory is subject to the will of God."

Avoidance of complaints. With regard to the avoidance of
complaints he said, "He who avoids complaints invites happiness."

Attraction of the things of the world. About the attraction
of the things of the world, he said, "If an ignorant person is attracted by the
things of the world this is bad, but if a learned person is thus attracted, it
is worse." He also said, "O man you are busy working for the world, and the
world is busy trying to turn you out".

Justice. About justice, he said: "In the matter of justice,
all should be equal in your eyes".

Deception and faithlessness. About deception and
faithlessness he said, "Do not deceive or be faithless even with your enemy."

Measure. About the use of measure he said, "Use same measure
for selling which you use for purchase".

Sin. About Sin, he said:

It is good to repent from sin; it is better to avoid sin.

It is bad for a young man to sin, but it is worse for an
old man to sin.

Evil. About evil he said "Cursed is the man who dies himself,
but the evil done by him survives."

Dyeing of hair. In the case of the dyeing of hair he said,
"Youth is not restored by the dyeing of your hair".

Early rising. About early rising, he said, "It is a matter of
shame that in the morning the birds should be awake earlier than you."

Piety. About Piety he said: Piety is the most solid goodness,
and the vilest of what is evil is vice.

Truth and falsehood. About truth and falsehood he said,
"Truth is a trust, falsehood a treason."

Vain desires. About vain desires, he said, "Do not follow
vain desires for verily he prospers who is preserved from lust, greed and
anger."

The best. Abu Bakr prayed, "O Lord, render You the best of my
life its close, the best of my deeds as the last, and the best of my days the
day of Your meeting." "O God verily I ask of You that which may be the best for
me in the end. O God vouchsafe that the last good that You bestow upon me, is
Your approbation."

Deadly things. Abu Bakr said, "The most deadly of things are
the two that are red, gold and saffron."

Reward of the believer. Abu Bakr said, "The true believer is
rewarded in every thing, even in affliction."

Life of the world. About the life of the world, Abu Bakr
said, "Our abode in this world is transitory. Our life therein is but a loan.
Our breaths are numbered, and our indolence is manifest. "

Condolence. While condoling the death of a companion, Abu
Bakr said to the bereaved family: "There is no harm in patience, and no profit
in lamentation. Death is easiest to bear than that which precedes it, and more
severe than that which comes after it. Remember the death of the Apostle of God,
and your sorrow will be lessened. "

Prayer for a dead man. When praying for a dead man. Abu Bakr
said: "O God his people and his goods and his kindred have forsaken this servant
of Yours. His sin was grievous, but You are Merciful and Compassionate."

Abu Bakr's eloquence. Abu Bakr was known for his eloquence
and oratory. He used to address the faithful every week on Fridays. His sermons
and addresses were the specimen of masterly eloquence, every word thereof
vibrated with superb faith and appealed directly to the heart. All his sermons
and addresses have not been preserved. Only a few of his sermons and addresses
have come down to us, and these classical addresses which are veritable gems of
literature evoke our admiration.

Inaugural address. On assuming office, he delivered the
following address, which is a unique document for the guidance of all rulers
"Gentlemen, I have been placed in authority, though by Allah I was averse to the
assumption of authority. I would have been pleased if any of you had taken over
the office, and I would have assisted him. I have been made to rule over you
though I am not the most worthy among you. If you expect me to act as did the
Holy Prophet of God, know that I cannot do so, for the Apostle of God was a
servant whom the Lord honored with His inspiration and preserved him thereby
from error I am an ordinary mortal and not better than any of you. Therefore,
watch over me. When you see that I am steadfast and obey Allah and His Prophet,
then obey me when you see that I turn aside from the right path do not obey me.
Help me if I am in the right; set me right if I am in the wrong. Know that I
have a devil that seizes upon me. Therefore, when you see me enraged avoid me
for at that time I cannot be influenced by your counsels or glad salutations. We
have the Quran for our guidance. We have also with us the instructions of the
Holy Prophet. These will be our unerring guides. Know O men that piety is the
most solid goodness, and the vilest of what is evil is vice. Truth is a trust,
falsehood a treason. The weak among you shall be strong with me till God willing
his rights have been vindicated; and the strong among you shall be weak with me
till, if the Lord wills, I have taken what is due from him."

Guidelines for the faithful. In the following sermon, Abu
Bakr set the guidelines for the conduct of the faithful: "Beware you of
following vain desire, for verily he prospers who is preserved from lust, greed
and anger; and beware you of pride for what pride belongs to him who is made of
earth, and whom the worms devour after death, To day you are alive; tomorrow you
may be dead. Therefore act uprightly from day to day and hour to hour. Be you
patient for every work is accomplished through patience. Be you watchful for
watchfulness is profitable. Act uprightly for a good act is acceptable to God.
Refrain from things against which the Lord has warned you under pain of His
wrath. Vie you with one another in hastening to obtain the things that the Lord
has promised you in His mercy. Be heedful and in fear for the Lord has declared
to you things for which He destroyed those that were before you and things
through which He delivered those before you. Verily He has manifested to you in
His book His commands and His prohibitions, the works He approves and that He
abhors. God is He Whose assistance should be implored. There is no power or
strength but in the Lord. Obey God, preserve your portion of excellence. Make
your charitable donations even when you are poor. O Servants of God, think of
your brethren and companions who have departed. Verily, the Lord has no
co-partner, and between Him and any of His creatures there is no mediatory
influence that can bestow good upon him or avert from him evil save in His
worship and obedience to His commands for verily there is no good after which
comes hell fire, and no evil after which comes heaven".

The light of the Book of God. In another sermon, Abu Bakr
said: "I commend to you piety to God. Praise Him as befits Him. Mingle desire
with fear, for God praised Zikriya and the people of his house and said, "These
strove to excel in good works and called upon Us with love and with fear and
humbled themselves before Us". Therefore, know, O servants of God, that the Lord
holds your lives as a pledge for what is due to Him, and has taken your compacts
regarding it, and has purchased of you a little that is perishable, in exchange
for eternal abundance, and this Book of God is among you, whose light cannot be
extinguished, nor its wonders end. Therefore, seek you illumination from its
light, and accept counsel from His Book and seek light from it in the day of
darkness. Verily He has created you for His worship and has appointed for you
guardian angels honorable in the sight of God writing down actions, who know
that which you do. And know O servants of God that you proceed and draw nigh to
an appointed time, the knowledge of which, verily, is hidden from you. Vie you
with one another in fulfilling the obligations of your appointed times before
your appointed periods are completed, lest they cast you upon the evilest of
your works, and verily there are some who have made over the obligations of
their appointed times on others, and have taken no heed of themselves.
Therefore, I forbid you to be like them. Then haste, flee, flee for behind you
is a nimble pursuer, swift of deed. Where are the comely, beautiful of
countenance, exulting in their youth? Where are the monarchs who built cities
and entrenched them round about? Where are they who boasted of victories on
fields of battle? Verily their pillars were overthrown when fortune betrayed
them, and they went down into the darkness of the grave. Haste, haste, flee,
flee."

Death of Abu Bakr

Illness of Abu Bakr. On the 7th of Jamadi-ui-Akhir of the 1
3th A H. corresponding to the 8th of August 634 C.E, Abu Bakr fell sick, and out
of this sickness he never recovered. There are two accounts about the sickness
of Abu Bakr. One account is that the 8th of August 634 was a cold day, when Abu
Bakr took a bath and caught a chill. Another account is that about a year ago,
along with some other companions Harith bin Kaladah, and Attab bin Usaid he had
eaten some food which was poisoned, and which was to have its effect after a
year. Harith b. Kaladah and Attab b Usaid died on the same day as Abu Bakr, and
that lends support to the theory that the death of Abu Bakr was because of the
effect of poison.

The physician. Abu Bakr developed high fever, and was
confined to bed. His illness prolonged, and when his condition worsened, he felt
that his end was near. Some companions called on him to inquire about his
welfare. They said, "O Vicegerent of the Apostle of God, may we call a physician
to examine you". He said that the physician had already visited him. They
inquired as to what had the physician said. Abu Bakr said that the physician had
said that he would do what he would do.

Refund of the amount drawn from the treasury. When Abu Bakr
felt that his end was near, he wanted to know what amount he had drawn from the
State treasury as allowance for the office of the Caliph. He was told that this
amount was six thousand dirhams. He directed that the plot of land which
belonged to him should be sold, and from the sale proceeds, the amount of six
thousand dirhams should be paid to the State treasury. He next took stock of the
personal fortune that he had acquired since becoming the Caliph. These assets
included a slave, a camel, and some cloth. He directed that these assets should
be handed over to the new Caliph. When in pursuance of the will of Abu Bakr, the
amount of six thousand dirhams and other assets were handed over to the new
Caliph, Umar, the new Caliph wept and said, "O Abu Bakr, may God bless you; you
have made the task of your successor most difficult."

Property bequeathed to Ayesha. Abu Bakr had bequeathed some
property to Ayesha. Now that he was on deathbed he desired that the property
should be divided among her two brothers and three sisters in accordance with
the Islamic Law. Ayesha said that they were two sisters, Asma and herself, and
inquired as to who was the third sister? Abu Bakr said that his wife Habiba was
pregnant, and he had a feeling that the child would be a girl. Indeed after the
death of Abu Bakr, a girl was born to Habiba, who was named Umm Kulthum. Ayesha
complied with the wish of her father and released the property in her charge for
distribution among her brothers and sisters.

The Coffin. Abu Bakr next asked Ayesha as to how many pieces
of cloth were used for the coffin of the Holy Prophet. Ayesha said that three
pieces had been used in the coffin of the Holy Prophet. Abu Bakr thereupon
desired that for his coffin as well, three pieces should be used. He wanted that
the two sheets that he was wearing should be washed and used for his coffin,
while the third piece might be purchased. Ayesha said that they were not so poor
as not to afford to purchase all the three pieces required for the coffin. Abu
Bakr said, "No, the new material will be of more use to the living than the
dead. The cloth for the dead body is merely meant to absorb blood and pus, and
it is not necessary that the cloth should be new."

The day of death. Abu Bakr inquired of Ayesha as to what was
the day on which the Holy Prophet had died. She replied that the day was Monday.
Abu Bakr next inquired as to what was the day that day. She said that it was
Monday. Abu Bakr said that in that case he would die that day. He desired that
if he died that day, he should be buried the same day.

Last moments of Abu Bakr. As Abu Bakr lay on the deathbed,
Ayesha wailed: "And one so unsullied in honor that the cloud draws moisture from
his face; the protection of orphans. the defense of widows." Abu Bakr said, "No,
this encomium must be reserved for the Holy Prophet alone". Ayesha said: "Wealth
is of no avail to a man; on the day when the death-rattle is in his throat, and
his breast is contracted by it." Abu Bakr uncovered his face and said, "It is
not so, Say that the agony of death shall come in truth; this, O man, is what
you sought to avoid." He swooned, and on regaining consciousness, he recited the
verse of the Holy Quran: "Lord, let me die a true believer: And join me with the
blessed ones on high who are virtuous."

With these words of the Holy Quran on his lips, Abu Bakr
expired. From God he had come and to God he returned. It was 22nd of
Jamadi-ul-Akhir of 13 A.H. corresponding to 23rd of August, 534 C.E. The day was
Monday. His death took place between the hours of the Maghrib and Isha prayers.
He was 63 years at the time of his death. That was the exact age at which the
Holy Prophet had died.

Burial. According to the will of Abu Bakr, his dead body was
prepared for burial by his wife Asma b Umas. She was helped by his son Abdul
Rahman. The funeral prayer was led by Umar. He was buried the same night in the
house of Ayesha by the side of the grave of the Holy Prophet. In life, Abu Bakr
had the honor of being a bosom companion of the Holy Prophet, after death he had
also the honor of resting by the side of the Master.

Abu Qahafa. When Abu Bakr died, his father Abu Qahafa was at
Makkah. It is reported that when Abu Bakr died, the city of Makkah was convulsed
by an earthquake. Abu Qahafa said that the earthquake was indicative of some
calamity. Soon the sad news arrived of the death of Abu Bakr. Abu Qahafa mourned
the death of his son. Abu Qahafa died six months later at the age of
ninety-seven.

Nomination of successor. Realizing that his end was drawing
near, Abu Bakr felt that he should nominate his successor so that the issue
should not be a cause of dissension among the Muslims after his death. Abu Bakr
summoned Abdul Rahman bin Auf, and asked for his opinion about the nomination of
Umar as the Caliph, Abdul Rahman favored the nomination. Some other companions
were also consulted. The general consensus was that Umar was the fittest person
to be appointed as the Caliph. Usaid bin Hudai said, "After you, O Caliph, Umar
is the most deserving person for the office of the Caliph. There is none more
resolute than he among us. His inner self is better than his exterior." Usman
favored the nomination and remarked, "What is hidden of Umar is better than what
outwardly appears; there is not his equal amongst us." Sayeed bin Zaid supported
the proposal emphatically.

The general consensus. The general consensus was that Umar
was the fittest person to be nominated as the Caliph. There was, however, an
under current of feeling that Umar had the fiery and irascible temper, and he
might not be able to show moderation so necessary for the head of the community.
Abu Bakr observed that Umar's display of severity was meant to counteract his
(Abu Bakr's) leniency. Abu Bakr felt that when the full responsibility of
government was devolved upon Umar, he would become moderate in his opinion. Abu
Bakr said: "I can say from my personal experience that Umar has always cooled me
down whenever I have lost my temper with any one, just as whenever he felt me to
be too lenient he counseled greater severity. For this reason I feel certain
that with time, Umar will achieve the moderation that you desire."

Objection of Talha. Talha who was related to Abu Bakr, and
perhaps coveted the caliphate for himself objected to the nomination of Umar. He
said: "O successor of the Prophet, you knew full well how harsh Umar has been
towards us all during your regime, and God only knows what he will meet to us
when you are gone. You know that you are leaving us forever, and yet you are
content to leave us in the hands of a man whose fierce and ungovernable rages
are well known to you. Think O Chief, what answer will you give to Your Lord for
such a behest?"

At this objection of Talha, Abu Bakr who was lying prostrate
on his bed rose up with considerable effort and addressing Talha said: "Have you
come to frighten me? I swear that when I meet my Lord, I will gladly tell Him
that I appointed as ruler over His people, the man who was the best of them
all."

Ali. Thereupon Ali who was present on the occasion rose to
say that he would acknowledge no one as Caliph save Umar. Abu Bakr was much
impressed with the integrity of Ali for not pressing his own claim, and putting
the interests, of the community above his personal interests. Turning to Ali,
Abu Bakr said: "Ali, you are indeed a prince in the most exalted sense of the
word, for others are mere men."

Umar. Then Abu Bakr sent for Umar, and informed him that he
had nominated him as his successor. Umar said that he did not covet the office.
Thereupon Abu Bakr said, "But the office needs you. I have prayed to God to
direct me rightly to the choice of my successor, and my choice is fundamental
for the unity and of the Muslims."

The testament. Umar acquiesced, and Abu Bakr dictated the
testament to Usman in the following terms: "In the name of Most Merciful God.
This is the last will and testament of Abu Bakr bin Abu Qahafa, when he is in
the last hour of the world, and the first of the next; an hour in which the
infidel must believe, the wicked be convinced of their evil ways, I nominate
Umar bin al Khattab as my successor. Therefore, hear to him and obey him. If he
acts right, confirm his actions. My intentions are good, but I cannot see the
future results. However, those who do ill shall render themselves liable to
severe account hereafter. Fare you well. May you be ever attended by the Divine
favor of blessing."

Approval of the people. The testament having been drawn up,
Abu Bakr supported by his wife Asma walked up to the door and addressed the
people who had collected there. He told them that he had appointed Umar as his
successor. They said, "We approve". After obtaining the approval of the people
in general terms, Abu Bakr lay on the bed, and prayed to God: "O Lord! I have
made this testament for the welfare of the community in order to counteract
discord among them. What my intentions are, You know full well. I have spared no
pains in making the best selection, O God, I entrust the Muslims to Your care. O
Allah, keep their ruler on the right path. O God, make my successor the most
pious of rulers, and confer peace on the Muslims."

Counsel to Umar. Addressing his successor, Umar, Abu Bakr
said: "Let not sorrow for me divert you from the service of the Lord. You saw
what I myself did when the Prophet died, and there could be no greater sorrow
for mankind than that. Truly, if grief had stayed me then from girding my loins
in the cause of the Lord and of His Prophet, and if, I swear by Allah, I had
shown the slightest weakness in carrying out the command of Allah on that day.
He would have punished us by bringing on us destruction. I expect you to do your
duty against all odds. May God bless you."

Wishes and regrets of Abu Bakr. On his deathbed, when
reviewing the main events of his life, Abu Bakr gave expression to certain
wishes and regrets. He said that there were three things that he did and which
he wished he should not have done. There were three things which he did not do
and wished that he should have done them. There were three things which he did
not inquire from the Holy Prophet, and which he should have inquired.

Things which he did but should not have done. The first
thing, which he did but wished that he should not have done, was that he should
not have insisted on Ali offering him allegiance as Caliph. The second thing was
that when Faja'a Salmi was brought to him he should not have ordered him to be
burnt alive, but should have killed him otherwise or let him free. The third
thing was that he should not have accepted the caliphate, but should have seen
that either Umar or Abu Ubaida were declared as the Caliph, and he should become
a Minister to the Caliph. When Ali was asked to take the oath of allegiance to
Abu Bakr, that annoyed Fatima, and Abu Bakr felt sorry for such annoyance.
Faja'a was burnt to death, and that was against a tradition of the Holy Prophet
which laid down that if a person professed to be a Muslim, he should not be
burnt to death. Abu Bakr had no personal interest in the Caliphate, and,
therefore, he always longed that someone else from among the Quraish should have
become the Caliph, and he could have helped him as his Minister.

The first thing which he did not do, but wished that he
should have done it was that when Asha'as bin Qais was brought to him as a
captive he should have ordered him to be killed, and should not have pardoned
him. The second thing was that when he sent the forces against the apostates he
should have remained at Zul Qissa, so that he could have proceeded to the help
of the Muslim force fighting against the apostates. The third thing was that
when he commissioned Khalid to proceed to the Syrian front, he should have sent
Umar to Iraq and in this way he should have spread both his hands in the way of
Allah. Asha'as the Kinda chief was deceitful by nature, and Abu Bakr not only
pardoned him, but married his sister to him. Abu Bakr felt that that was a
mistake as Asha'as was a faithless person. Abu Bakr directed the apostasy
campaign from Madina. Abu Bakr felt that a better base for such operations was
Zul Qissa.

When Khalid was withdrawn from the Iraq front, the Muslim
position on this front became weak. It would have been a better course of action
if reinforcement should have been sent to Iraq under the command of a leader
like Umar.

Things that he should have inquired from the Holy Prophet.
The first thing which Abu Bakr wished to have inquired from the Holy Prophet was
as to who should be his successor. The second thing was what share should be
allowed to the Ansar in the administration. The third thing was as to what part
of the inheritance should be allowed to a niece or a paternal aunt. The
caliphate issue has remained a source of great headache to the Muslims and Abu
Bakr felt that if there had been any definite instructions of the Holy Prophet
on the point that could have eased the situation. The question of the equation
between the Ansars and the emigrants also involved considerable controversy, and
it would have been in the fitness of things if some definite guidance from the
Holy Prophet on the point was forthcoming. The question of giving share to a
niece or a paternal aunt involved difficulty and if there had been a specific
ruling from the Holy Prophet that would have solved the point.

Kufaf bin Umayr. On the death of Abu Bakr, Khufaf b Umayr
wrote an elegy mourning the death of Abu Bakr. He was a descendant of the famous
Arab poet Imraul Qais. He was also known as Iba Nudbah, the latter being his
mother's name. He was present at the battle of Hunain. At the time of the
conquest of Makkah he carried the standard of Banu Salim. He has the honor of
being one of the greatest poets of Arab chivalry.

The Elegy. Mourning the death of Abu Bakr, Kufaf said: "Tell
every living thing that there is no permanence for it; and for the whole
universe, its decree is destruction. The goods of men are but as a trust;
Borrowed on the condition of repayment; And a man strives, but there is one who
lies in wait for him; The eye mourns for him, who is no more. The man first in
faith, without a peer. Verily Abu Bakr was as the rain. That brought verdure to
the parched land. When the young Muslim community was threatened with danger He
led the Muslims to victory. He was verily a great hero, No one can attain the
excellence of his days, may God bless him, and may his soul rest in peace."

Wives and Children of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr married four wives
in all. He had six children, three sons and three daughters.

Qutaila. His first wife was Qutaila. She belonged to the Bani
Aamir tribe. She was the mother of two children, Asma and Abdullah. She did not
accept Islam, and Abu Bakr divorced her. Some time after 'Hijrat', Qutaila went
to Madina to see her daughter Asma. Asma asked of the Holy Prophet whether she
could see her mother, and whether she could stay with her. The Holy Prophet
permitted Asma to play host to her mother.

Umm Ruman. Her second wife was Umm Ruman. She was the
daughter of Aamir bin Umair. She was first married to Abdullah bin Harith. She
had one son from Abdullah who was named Tufail. Abdullah was a friend of Abu
Bakr, and on his death, Abu Bakr married Umm Ruman. She was the mother of two
children of Abu Bakr, namely Abdur Rahman and Ayesha. When Abu Bakr became a
Muslim; Umm Ruman also accepted Islam. She died at Madina in 628 C.E. The Holy
Prophet himself led her funeral prayers. The Holy Prophet is reported to have
said, "If any one wishes to see a houri of the paradise, let him see Umm Ruman".

Habiba. The third wife of Abu Bakr was Habiba. She was the
daughter of Zaid bin Kharijah Ansari, with whom Abu Bakr had the bond of
brotherhood established by the Holy Prophet. While Umm Ruman lived at Madina,
Abu Bakr resided with Habiba in Sukh, a suburb of Madina Habiba was the mother
of Umm Kulsum who was born after the death of Abu Bakr.

Asma. The fourth wife of Abu Bakr was Asma She was first
married to Jafar bin Abu Talib, a brother of Ali. She migrated with Jafar to
Abyssinia in 615 C.E. She had three sons from Jafar, namely, Muhammad, Abdullah,
and Aun. In 630 C.E., Jafar was martyred in the battle of Mauta. Six months
later, Abu Bakr married her. She had one son from Abu Bakr who was also named
Muhammad. She was a stepsister of Umm Salma, wife of the Holy Prophet. Asma was
a talented lady. She was well versed in the interpretation of dreams. According
to the will of Abu Bakr, Asma was authorized to prepare his dead body for the
burial. After the death of Abu Bakr, Asma married Ali from whom she had a son
Yahya.

Abdur Rahman. The eldest son of Abu Bakr was Abdur Rahman.
His mother was Umm Ruman, and he was the real brother of Ayesha. When Abu Bakr
became a Muslim, and his other children were converted to Islam, Abdur Rahman
refused to be converted to Islam. Abu Bakr accordingly separated from him. In
the battles of Badr and Uhud, Abdur Rahman fought on the side of the Quraish
against the Muslims. He became a Muslim after the Pact of Hudaibiya. Thereafter
he participated in the various battles fought by the Muslims. At the battle of
Yamama, he killed Mahakkam al Yamama, the General Commanding the forces of
Musailma. At the battle of Busra in Syria, he entered the city of Busra through
a subterranean passage, and then dashing towards the city gates opened them for
the main Muslim army to enter it. He died in 675 C.E,, and buried at Makkah.

Abdullah. The second son of Abu Bakr was Abdullah. He was
born of Qutaila. He was married to Atika who was the daughter of Zaid bin Amr
bin Naufal. She was a cousin of Umar. She was extraordinarily beautiful, and
Abdullah was so much lost in her love that he failed to participate in the
various expeditions undertaken by the Muslims. He even neglected his prayers.
Abdullah was so much overwhelmed with the love of Atika that he could not attend
to other duties. Abu Bakr gave vent to his anger, and told his son in plain
words that his failings and shortcomings were too serious to be passed over.
Abdullah placed himself at the mercy of his father Abu Bakr decreed that the
penalty for such lapses was that Abdullah should divorce Atika within three
days. Abdullah divorced Atika in pursuance of the command of his father. That,
however, upset the mental equilibrium of Abdullah. He would neither eat nor
drink. He would sob and sigh and sing heart-rending verses giving expression to
his grief over the loss of his beloved. When the Holy Prophet came to know of
the matter, he annulled the divorce, and the lovers were reunited. Thereafter,
Abdullah was very particular to take care that his love for Atika did not stand
in the way of his duty to God. In all the campaigns that were undertaken by the
Holy Prophet thereafter, Abdullah took active part and fought valiantly.
Abdullah was wounded in the battle of Taif, and later died of these wounds in
633 C.E. in the first year of the caliphate of Abu Bakr. After the death of
Abdullah, Umar married Atika.

Muhammad. The third son of Abu Bakr was Muhammad born of Asma
bint Asma. He was hardly two or three years old at the time of the death of Abu
Bakr. Asma had two sons who both bore the name 'Muhammad', One was the son of
Jafar and the other was the son of Abu Bakr. After the death of Abu Bakr, Asma
married Ali and Muhammad bin Abu Bakr was brought up under the care of Ali. He
was a great partisan of Ali and he was very active in the coup that led to the
martyrdom of Usman. During the caliphate of Ali, Muhammad became the Governor of
Egypt. When Muawiyiah captured power, he had Muhammad killed.

Asma. The eldest daughter of Abu Bakr was Asma. Her mother
was Qutaila who did not become a Muslim and was divorced by Abu Bakr. When the
Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr sought refuge in a cave outside Makkah on the occasion
of Migration to Madina, Asma used to carry food to them under the cover of
darkness. When the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr left the cave, Asma tore her apron
and tied the goods with the two belts. For this ingenuity, she received from the
Holy Prophet, the title "She of the two belts". She was married to Zubair, a
cousin of the Holy Prophet. At Madina, soon after migration, Asma gave birth to
Abdullah, who was the first Muslim child to be born after migration. After the
tragedy of Kerbala, Abdullah declared himself as the Caliph at Makkah. When the
Umayyads stormed the city of Makkah, Abdullah consulted Asma who was then eighty
years old, as to what he should do. She advised, "If you believe your cause to
be right you should be ready to die for it, if on the other hand your object is
merely worldly gain, then you may certainly compromise with your enemy". When
Abdullah died and the Umayyads had his body hung at the city gate, Asma went to
the dead body of her son, and she said pathetically, "The rider is still riding
the horse".

Ayesha. The second daughter of Abu Bakr was Ayesha, who had
the unique honor of being the only virgin to be married to the Holy Prophet. She
became a widow at a young age. During the caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar she
enjoyed great influence. When Ali became the Caliph, she was involved in the
battle against him. Thereafter she retired from politics, and lived a quiet life
at Madina. She was very talented and was an authority on theological and
judicial matters.

Umm Kulsum. The third daughter of Abu Bakr was Umm Kulsum.
She was born of Habiba bint Zaid Ansari. Umm Kulsum was born after the death of
Abu Bakr. On coming of age, Umm Kulsum was married to Talha bin Ubaidullah. On
the death of Talha, she married his brother Abdur Rahman bin Ubaidullah.

Abu Bakr, The Man

Distinctions of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was a man of many
distinctions. A study of his life reveals that in many respects he had the
unique distinction of being the first or the topmost person. Hereunder we
attempt to catalogue the main distinctions of Abu Bakr.

Acceptance of Islam. Outside the family of the Holy Prophet,
Abu Bakr was the first person to accept Islam. While other persons always
indulged in some argument in accepting Islam. Abu Bakr was the only person who
accepted Islam without any reluctance or hesitation and without any argument.

Liberation of slaves. He was the first person to liberate
slaves in the way of God.

First public address. When God ordered that the teachings of
Islam should be made public, the first public address calling the people to God
and His Prophet was delivered by Abu Bakr.

The first mosque. Abu Bakr was the first person to build a
mosque in the history of Islam.

His titles. He had the unique distinction of being given the
titles of 'Siddiq' and 'Atiq' by the Holy Prophet.

Companionship of the Holy Prophet. Of all the companions, Abu
Bakr was the closest and the dearest to the Holy Prophet. He had the unique
distinction of being the companion of the Holy Prophet in the cave in Mt. Thaur
on the occasion of the Holy Prophet's migration from Makkah to Madina.

Masjid-i-Nabvi. The land for Masjid-i-Nabvi at Madina was
purchased with the money of Abu Bakr.

Wealth of Abu Bakr. When Abu Bakr accepted Islam, he had
40,000 dirhams with him. He spent the whole of this amount in the cause of
Islam. The Holy Prophet acknowledged that he had utilized the wealth of Abu Bakr
more than the wealth of any other person. When the Holy Prophet invited
contributions to finance the Tabuk expedition, Abu Bakr had the unique
distinction of contributing all that he had.

The Holy Prophet's regard for Abu Bakr. The Holy Prophet was
pleased to appoint Abu Bakr as the first "Amirul Hajj" in the history of Islam.
Abu Bakr had the distinction to be appointed as the Imam to lead the prayers in
the lifetime of the Holy Prophet. In his last address at Masjid-i-Nabvi, the
Holy Prophet ordered that all doors opening into the mosque should be closed
except the door leading to the house of Abu Bakr.

Caliphate. Abu Bakr had the distinction of being the first
Caliph in the history of Islam. He was the first Caliph to nominate a successor.
He was the only Caliph in the history of Islam who refunded to the state
treasury at the time of his death the entire amount of the allowance that he had
drawn during the period of his caliphate.

As a ruler. He was the first Muslim ruler to establish Baitul
Mal. He was the first Muslim ruler to establish crown pasture. He was the first
Muslim ruler to establish 'Ijtihad'.

His virtues. In the matter of virtue, Abu Bakr excelled all
other companions of the Holy Prophet.

Fiqh and Tasawuff. He is the Father of Fiqh. He is the Imam
of Sufis. After the Holy Prophet, he was the best interpreter of dreams.

Companionship of the Holy Prophet. Abu Bakr had the
distinction of being the closest and the dearest companion of the Holy Prophet.
Four generations of the family of Abu Bakr had the distinction of being the
companions of the Holy Prophet, namely Abu Qahafa the father of Abu Bakr, Abu
Bakr himself, Abdul Rahman the son of Abu Bakr, and Abu Atiq Muhammad, a
grandson of Abu Bakr. No other family had such distinction. Abu Bakr was the
only ruler who became the Caliph during the lifetime of his father.

Conquests. When after the death of the Holy Prophet, most of
the tribes of Arabia apostatized, it was Abu Bakr who reconquered Arabia for
Islam. He was the first Muslim ruler to conquer Iraq. He was the first Muslim
ruler to conquer Syria.

Compilation of the Holy Quran. He was the first person to
compile the Holy Quran and called it "Mashaf".

After death. After death, Abu Bakr had the distinction of
being buried by the side of the Holy Prophet.

References in the Holy Quran. Abu Bakr has the unique
distinction of being referred to in the Holy Quran in several verses.

Al-Bara'at. In Sura "A1-Bara'at', there is a reference to Abu
Bakr in the following verse: "He being the second of the two, When they were in
the cave and when Muhammad said to his companion 'Grieve not, surely God is with
us,' then God came to their help, and protected them with an army which they saw
not". {9:40}

Al-Lail. The following verses in the Sura "Al-Lail" refer to
Abu Bakr: "Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification and
have in their minds no favor from any one, for which a reward is expected in
return, but only the desire to seek the countenance of their Lord, Most High and
soon will they attain complete satisfaction." {92:18-21}

"He who gives in charity, and fears Allah and in all
sincerity testifies to the best, We will indeed, make smooth for him, the path
to bliss". {92:1-7}

Al-Ahzab. When the verse "Surely Allah and His angels bless
the Prophet" {33:56} was revealed, Abu Bakr inquired of the Holy Prophet whether
he was included in the divine grace which was bestowed on the Holy Prophet. It
was on this that the following verse was revealed which contains an implied
reference to Abu Bakr: "He it is, Who sends His blessings on him, and so do His
angels that He may bring him forth out of utter darkness into light, and He is
merciful to the believers'. {33:43}.

Al-lmran. The commentators are agreed that the following
verse of Sura "Al-lmran" refers to Abu Bakr and Umar: "And take counsel with
them in the affair". (3:158)

Al-Waqiah. Shah Wali Ullah and other commentators hold that
in the following verse of Sura "AI-Waqiah", the "believers that are good refers
to Abu Bakr and Umar: "And if you back up each other against him, then surely
Allah it is Who is his Guardian, and Gabriel, and the believers that do good,
and the angels will be his helpers." {66:4}.

Ar-Rahman. According to commentators the following verse in
Sura "Ar-Rahman" refers to Abu Bakr: "And for him who fears to stand before his
Lord are two gardens", (15:46)

Al-Imran. The following verse in Sura "Al-Imran" with
reference to the Jews has an implied reference to Abu Bakr: "And you will
certainly hear from those who received the Book before you and from the
polytheists much that is wrong, but if you preserve and fear God, that is the
steadfastness of things."

An-Nur. In Sura "An-Nur", the following verse refers to Abu
Bakr: "And let not those of you who possess grace and abundance swear against
giving to the near of kin and the poor and those who have migrated in the way of
Allah, and they should pardon and turn away. Do you not like that God should
forgive you?" {18:24}

Most virtuous. The Holy Prophet said that if all the virtues
were catalogued these would be three sixty in number and Abu Bakr possessed all
the three sixty virtues. Among the Companions Abu Bakr was the most virtuous.

Special way. The Holy Prophet said, "Allah will show His
glory to the people in a general way, but He will show it to Abu Bakr in a
special way."

Greatness of Abu Bakr. About the greatness of Abu Bakr, the
Holy Prophet said: "Never has the sun risen or set on a person, except a
Prophet, greater than Abu Bakr." Best of human beings. The Holy Prophet said,
"Verily, Abu Bakr is the best of human beings, except the Prophets".

Companionship of Abu Bakr. About the companionship of Abu
Bakr, the Holy Prophet said: "Abu Bakr, you were my companion in the cave and
you will be my companion in Heaven on the spring of Kausar."

Kindliest of Persons. Abu Bakr was a kind-hearted person and
he freely spent his money for the relief of the Muslims in distress. For this
attribute, Abu Bakr earned the following remarks from the Holy Prophet: "The
kindliest of my followers towards the believers in faith is Abu Bakr."

Truthful and veracious. About the truth and veracity of Abu
Bakr, the Holy Prophet said: "Never did I invite any person to accept Islam who
did not doubt and hesitate and express anxiety save only Abu Bakr who embraced
it without the slightest hesitation when I spoke to him of the faith."

The Holy Prophet's confidence in Abu Bakr. The Holy Prophet
said: "Never was anything revealed to me that I did not pour in Abu Bakr's
ears."

Glad tidings of paradise. The Holy Prophet gave glad tidings
of paradise to ten of his companions. Abu Bakr headed this list. Addressing Abu
Bakr, the Holy Prophet said: "Abu Bakr, you will be the first of my people to
enter paradise. "

Place for Abu Bakr in the paradise. The Holy Prophet even
beseeched God to recognize the merits of Abu Bakr: "Almighty God, give, I
beseech You, a place to Abu Bakr like that of mine in paradise on the Day of
Judgment."

The Holy Prophet's obligations to Abu Bakr. The Holy Prophet
said: "There is none whom I owe obligation and I did not repay it except Abu
Bakr, for I owe him much for which Allah will compensate him on the Day of
Judgment."

Obligations of the people to Abu Bakr. The Holy Prophet
enjoined the Muslims as follows: "The love of Abu Bakr and gratitude towards him
is incumbent upon every one of my people "

Personal description. According to Waqidi, Abu Bakr in
personal appearance was a man having a fair color and a slender body. His waist
was slightly bent so that the cloth that he wore round it often slipped down. He
had a thin face with deeply set eyes and broad forehead. He had no flesh on his
finger joints. His height was in proportion to his body. He had curled hair. His
voice was sweet. He dyed his beard. Indeed he had the look of a patriarch.

Virtues of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was a paragon of virtues.
According to a tradition the Holy Prophet addressing his companions one day
asked who out of them had attended a funeral; who had paid alms; who had visited
a sick person; who had visited a graveyard; and who had kept a fast. Abu Bakr
alone answered to all these requirements. The Holy Prophet said that if all the
virtues were catalogued these would be three hundred and sixty in number. The
Holy Prophet was pleased to observe that Abu Bakr possessed all these three
hundred and sixty virtues.

Siddiq. The Holy Prophet conferred on Abu Bakr the honorific
title of Siddiq. There may not be much in a name, but there is much in a
surname. If we were to sum the qualities of Abu Bakr in one word, that word
would be Siddiq. The word Siddiq may be rendered as "truthful, faithful and
veracious". Abu Bakr was truthful. He always spoke the truth. He was a man of
strong views. His faith had the strength of rocks. He was a man of iron
resolution and when once he formed an opinion, no body could influence him. He
was a man of great devotion and dedication. He was a man of great and deep
insight and extraordinary judgment. He had a highly developed faculty of
perceiving the truth and arriving at unerring judgment. When the Holy Prophet
declared his mission, Abu Bakr accepted the call without any hesitation,
reluctance or argument. That was because Abu Bakr could perceive where the truth
lay. When the Holy Prophet declared that the previous night he had ascended the
Heaven, Abu Bakr forthwith believed in such ascension.

Intelligence of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was highly intelligent.
When men like Umar felt unhappy over the terms of the Hudaibiya Pact, Abu Bakr
felt that the Pact was in fact in the interests of the Muslims. When on the
occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage the Holy Prophet declared that God had
perfected the religion for them that day and other persons felt happy, Abu Bakr
felt sorry for this implied that having completed his mission the Holy Prophet
was about to pass away. When during his illness the Holy Prophet declared that
God had given his servant the choice between immortality or a return to Him, and
he had accepted the latter course, Abu Bakr wept for this implied that the Holy
Prophet was not going to survive his illness.

Memory of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr blessed was with extraordinary
memory. He had but to listen to any verses once, and he could thereafter repeat
them accurately. He memorized the Holy Quran. He was most eloquent. His
addresses were always characterized by deep thinking which impressed the
listeners. He could quote the traditions with authority.

Judgment and scholarship of Abu Bakr. About the judgment and
scholarship of Abu Bakr, Shah Wali Ullah of Delhi has made the following
observations: "He was just like other scholars among the Companions in his
knowledge of the Quran and the Sunnah. In what he excelled others was that
whenever he was faced with a difficult problem, he would exercise his judgment
and deeply ponder over it. The Almighty would cast a ray of enlightenment on his
heart and would reveal to him the truth. As the manifestation of this
enlightenment was connected with the excellence of the heart it impressed itself
in the form of determination and not a mere idea".

Steadfastness of Abu Bakr. Because of his inner insight and
conviction, Abu Bakr was always steadfast in his actions. When the Holy Prophet
died and the people would not believe that he was dead, Abu Bakr made them
realize the grim reality, and advised them to be steadfast. When some of the
tribes offered to remain Muslims provided they were exempted from the payment of
Zakat, and the Companions around him advised him to accept the offer, he
remained steadfast and refused to compromise. When Usama's army was to be sent
to Syria, many persons advised that it was not the proper time to send the
expedition. He remained steadfast in the decision, and decided that the
expedition to Syria would be undertaken, whatever the consequences.

Courage of Abu Bakr. Because of his faith and resolution he
was very courageous. It is stated that once Ali asked his companions as to whom
they considered to be the bravest person. They said that he (Ali) was such a
person. Ali said, "No, Abu Bakr was the bravest. On the day of the battle of
Badr, when no one was forthcoming to stand guard at the pavilion where the Holy
Prophet prayed, Abu Bakr stood with his sword and did not allow the enemy to
come near the site."

Abu Bakr's love for Islam. Abu Bakr's love for Islam was of
great depth. Islam in fact became the end all and be all of his existence. In
the battle of Badr, Abdul Rahman a son of Abu Bakr who had by that time not
accepted Islam fought on the side of the Quraish. When Abdul Rahman became a
Muslim he told his father that on the day of the battle of Badr, he had on
several occasions come within a striking distance, but he went the other way.
Abu Bakr said that if he had such an opportunity, he would not have spared him.
Abu Bakr was a loving father, but when his son Abdullah in his love for his wife
Atika neglected his prayers and did not participate in some expeditions, Abu
Bakr took him to task and asked him to divorce his wife.

Generosity of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was very generous. When he
became a Muslim he had an amount of 40,000 dirhams. The entire amount was spent
by him in the cause of Islam. He paid for the liberation of slaves. He financed
the journey of the Holy Prophet from Makkah to Madina on the occasion of
emigration. He paid for the land acquired for the construction of the Prophet's
mosque at Madina. When the Holy Prophet invited contributions for financing the
Tabuk expedition, Abu Bakr contributed all his assets for the purpose, and when
the Holy Prophet inquired as to what he had kept for himself and his dependents
he said that for himself and his dependents he had left Allah and His Prophet.

Selflessness of Abu Bakr. He was an embodiment of
selflessness. When he became the Caliph he was paid a meager allowance from the
treasury. On his deathbed he sold a plot of his land and repaid the entire
amount to the treasury. He lived a simple unostentatious life. One of his wives
once expressed the wish to have a sweet dish. Abu Bakr deposited the amount in
the public treasury and had his allowance reduced to the extent of the saving
made by his wife, on the ground that such amount was surplus to his genuine
needs.

Humility of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was very humble. When he would
see a bird he would sigh that he were like such a bird. He would often say that
he would prefer to be a hair on the body of a Muslim. When he went to perform
the 'Hajj', and some people walked in his train, he asked them not to follow
him, but to go their own way. Before becoming the Caliph he used to milk the
goats in the neighborhood. After becoming the Caliph when Abu Bakr passed the
street, one of the women said that as he had become the Caliph he would no
longer milk the goats for them. Abu Bakr heard these remarks and said that the
caliphate made no difference to him, and that he would continue to milk their
goats. If any one praised him, he would say, "O Allah, You know me more than
myself, and I know myself more than these people who praise me. Make me better
than what they think of me, and forgive those sins of mine of which they have no
knowledge, and do not hold me responsible for what they say."

His avoidance of obligation to others. He took particular
care to avoid obligation to others. He would do all the work for himself with
his own hands and would not allow other people to oblige him. Even if he
happened to drop the reins of the camel from his hands he would alight from the
camel, and pick up the reins himself, instead of asking some one else to help
him. Once the people around him asked why he did not let other persons do the
petty jobs for him. He said, "My beloved Prophet has ordered me not to seek the
obligation of any human being, for I want to remain obliged to God alone."

His regard for the poor. Abu Bakr looked after the wants of
all the poor people. During the winter he would distribute clothes and blankets
among the poor. There is story that in an out of the way street in Madina there
was a blind old woman. Umar would go to her house every morning, but he always
found that someone else had anticipated his visit and supplied all the wants of
the old lady. One day Umar went to the house of the lady earlier than usual and
found that the man who visited the old lady every morning was none other than
Abu Bakr.

Greatness of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr lived a devoted and dedicated
life and he was particular to follow in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet. Love
for the Holy Prophet was a passion with him. The Holy Prophet was pleased to
acknowledge that while he had been able to repay all the obligations that he
owned to others, he had not been able to repay the obligations that he owed to
Abu Bakr. During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr was only the "second
of the two", and he played a supporting and corroborative role. After the death
of the Holy Prophet, he rose to his full stature, and he verily proved to be a
giant among men. He had to face many crises, but with his wise handling of the
situations, all such crises were successfully overcome and Islam was launched on
the road to destiny. The Holy Prophet had lit the lamp, and though after the
death of the Holy Prophet, a furious storm raged Abu Bakr guarded the lamp with
great care, and saw to it that no blowing could extinguish the flame.

Western writers. Some of the western writers have paid
glowing tributes to Abu Bakr. The assessments made by non-Muslim writers give
objective view of the greatness of Abu Bakr.

Encyclopaedia of Islam. In the Encyclopaedia of Islam, it is
stated about Abu Bakr: "His was a gentle character. During recitation of the
Quran he shed tears, a thing that made great impression on many, but especially
on the women; and as his daughter related, he wept with joy at the news that he
would accompany Muhammad as companion on emigration. No sacrifice was too great
in his eyes for the sake of the new faith. Thus it came about that of his
considerable fortune estimated at 40,000 dirhams, he brought to Madina the small
sum of 5,OOO dirhams".

Von Kremer. In his book The Orient under the Caliphs, Yon
Kremer says: "Abu Bakr the successor and representative of the Prophet in the
highest affairs of the Muslim community was a simple man of the old Arabian
fashion, and when summoned to the caliphate he was changed in no respect...His
household remained as unpretentious as ever. He had only one slave who after
finishing the domestic work, made himself useful by cleaning the swords of the
faithful."

H. G. Wells. In his History of the World, H. G. Wells writes:
"...There can be little doubt that if Muhammad was the mind and imagination of
primitive mind. Abu Bakr was its conscience and its will. Throughout their life
together it was Muhammad who said the thing, but it was Abu Bakr who believed
the thing."

Sir William Muir. In his book The Caliphate, its Rise,
Decline and Fall, Sir William Muir has made the following assessment of the
character of Abu Bakr: "Abu Bakr had no thought of personal aggrandizement.
Endowed with the sovereign and irresponsible power, he used it simply for the
interests of Islam, and the people's good. But the grand secret of his strength
was faith in Muhammad. "Call me not the Caliph of Allah" he would say, "I am but
the Caliph of the Prophet of Allah". The question with him ever was what did
Muhammad command, or what now would he have done? From this he never swerved a
hair's breadth. And so it was that he crushed apostasy and laid secure the
foundations of Islam. His reign was short, but after Muhammad himself there is
no one to whom the faith is more beholden."

Stanley Lanepole. In his book Studies in a Mosque, Stanley
Lanepole observed: "Abu Bakr's calm judgment and quick sagacity joined to a
gentle and compassionate heart, were of incalculable service to the faith of
Islam."

Andre Servier. About the qualities of Abu Bakr, Andre Servier
has observed as follows in his book, lslam and the Psychology of the Mussalmans:
"He was a man of simple manners and in spite of his unexpected elevation lived
in poverty, when he died, he left behind a worn out garment, a slave, and a
camel. A true patriarch, after Madina's own heart, he had one great
quality-energy. He possessed what had given victory to Muhammad and what was
lacking in his enemies, an unshakable conviction. He was the right man in the
right place."

Dr. Weil. In his work A History of the Islamic Peoples, Dr.
Weil writes as follows: "Abu's Bakr's private life was as irreproachable as was
his public life. He used the treasures which his Generals sent to him out of the
booty for the purposes of the State and State alone. He himself remained as poor
as before. He was kind, simple and pious. As the first collector of the Quran,
to him belonged the credit of its complete preservation. As a law giver he set
an excellent example for his successor, for in cases unprovided for in the Quran
and the traditions of the Prophet, he gave decisions in consultation with the
jurists, decisions which with few exceptions became binding authorities."

Edward Gibbon. In his History of the Saracens, Edward Gibbon
writes: "When Abu Bakr assumed the office of the Caliph, he enjoined on his
daughter Ayesha to take a strict account of his patrimony. That it might be
evident whether he were enriched or impoverished by three pieces of gold only,
but on the Friday of each week, he distributed the residue of his own and the
public money first to the most worthy, and then to the most indigent of the
Muslims. The remains of his wealth, a coarse garment and five pieces of gold
were delivered to his successor, who lamented with a modest sigh of his own
inability to equal such an admirable model."

Simon Ockley. In his book History of Saracens, Simon Ockley
writes: "He never saved any money in the public treasury, but every Friday night
distributed what there was among persons of merit. His chastity, temperance, and
neglect of the things of this life was exemplary. He desired Ayesha to take an
account of all that he had gotten since he was Caliph, and distributed it among
the Mussalmans, being resolved not to be enriched by his preferment. His whole
inventory amounted to no more than five dirhams which when Umar heard, he said
that Abu Bakr had left his successor a hard pattern."

Abu Bakr in History

Abu Bakr's place in history. Abu Bakr became the Caliph on
the 8th of June 632 C.E. and he died on 23rd August 634 C.E. The period of his
caliphate covers two years, two months and fifteen days only. Judged by the
usual standards this period was too short to make an impact on history.
Surprisingly enough, however, the caliphate of Abu Bakr did not merely make an
impact on history; it changed the very course of history. The suppression of
apostasy, the unification of Arabia, and the conquests of greater parts of Iraq
and Syria within the space of two years are the extraordinary marvels of
history. The speed, the magnitude, the extent and the permanence of these
campaigns excite our wonder and evoke our admiration. For these achievements,
Abu Bakr holds a unique position in the history of the world in general and the
history of Islam in particular.

Dynamics of the leadership of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr came to
power in the midst of a crisis-loaded situation. The crises which he was called
upon to encounter were multi-dimensional in character, being psychological,
religious, political and international. Islam stood at the brink of a precipice,
and any wrong step on the part of Abu Bakr at that stage would have led to the
disintegration of Islam. That he not only averted the process of disintegration,
but made Islam a world force which could successfully contend against the giant
empires of Byzantium and Persia speaks for the dynamics of his leadership.

Historic role of Abu Bakr. The historic role of Abu Bakr
comprehends the following achievements:

His supporting role of Islam,

His suppression of apostasy and unification of Arabia; and

His confrontation with the giant empires of Byzantium and
Persia and conquests of parts of great Iraq and Syria.

Conversion to Islam. He accepted Islam without any
hesitation, argument or reluctance. His conversion to Islam became a landmark in
the history of Islam. His conversion according to Muir proved to be the greatest
guarantee of the sincerity of Muhammad (peace be on him).

Missionary of Islam. He was the greatest missionary of Islam
after the Holy Prophet. Through his efforts many young men among the Quraish
joined the fold of Islam.

Liberation of slaves. When the slaves who had accepted Islam
were tortured by the Quraish, Abu Bakr purchased these slaves from their masters
and set them free.

Persecutions of the Quraish. Whenever the Quraish maltreated
the Holy Prophet and did him violence, Abu Bakr always intervened to protect the
Holy Prophet.

Ascension. When the Holy Prophet gave an account of his
ascension and some of the Muslims, even, were overcome by doubts, Abu Bakr
declared in unequivocal terms that what the Holy Prophet said was the truth. Abu
Bakr became a witness to the truth.

Migration. When the Holy Prophet migrated from Makkah to
Madina, Abu Bakr was his companion. Abu Bakr looked after the Holy Prophet with
the affection and tenderness of a true friend. He met the entire expenses of the
journey.

Masjid-i-Nabvi. When the Holy Prophet purchased a plot of
land for constructing a mosque at Madina, Abu Bakr paid the price.

Battles. In the battle of Badr, Abu Bakr acted as a bodyguard
of the Holy Prophet. In the battle of Uhud when there was confusion and other
companions dispersed, Abu Bakr was the first to join the Holy Prophet. In the
battle of Hunain when the other companions dispersed, Abu Bakr continued to
attend the Holy Prophet.

Hudaibiya Pact. When the Hudaibiya Pact was executed and some
of the companions, including Umar were critical of the terms of the Pact, Abu
Bakr supported the Holy Prophet, and held that it was in the best interest of
the Muslims.

Liberal contribution. When the Holy Prophet invited
contributions for the financing of the Tabuk expedition, Abu Bakr donated all
that he had, saying that for him and his family Allah and the Holy Prophet were
enough.

Psychological crisis. When the Holy Prophet died the entire
Muslim community was in the throes of a psychological crisis, and even such a
man as Umar declared, "Who says that the Holy Prophet is dead? Moses like he has
gone to meet the Lord, and would return to us after some time". At this
juncture, Abu Bakr perceived the grim reality and said, "He who worships
Muhammad let him know that Muhammad (peace be on him) being a mortal is dead.
But he who worships the God of Muhammad (peace be on him), let him know that He
being immortal lives and would live for ever".

Support for the Holy Prophet. Abu Bakr did not support the
Holy Prophet in his lifetime alone; he supported him even after his death. When
it was suggested to him that Usama's expedition should not be dispatched or at
least Usama should be replaced by a veteran commander, Abu Bakr rejected the
demands on the ground that the orders of the Holy Prophet had to be followed at
all costs, and could not be reversed.

Zakat. When some tribes sought exemption from Zakat, Abu Bakr
refused the demand on the ground that with regard to a fundamental injunction of
Islam there could be no compromise.

Caliphate. When a political crisis threatened the Muslim
community in the matter of the successor to the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr was able
to persuade the Ansar to relinquish the caliphate in favor of the Quraish.

Savior of Islam. When after the death of the Holy Prophet the
Muslim community came to be threatened with danger from all sides, Abu Bakr
piloted the crisis with consummate skill. He did not merely save Islam in
Arabia; he made Islam a world force which successfully confronted the empires of
Persia and Byzantium. Abu Huraira, an eminent companion, declared that but for
Abu Bakr, Islam would have disintegrated. Abu Bakr, verily, played the role of
the savior of Islam.

Preservation of the Holy Ouran. Abu Bakr sponsored the
compilation of the Mushaf, and in this way the Word of God was preserved for all
times for the guidance of mankind.